How to tell your network that you have Covid-19

As the pandemic enters the second half of its third year, Covid-19 variants that are highly contagious and evade immunity spurring another surge in infections.in the meantime Covid-19 fatigue Official case data are Gentle wave of positive casesthe test results at home are mainly Not explained by published dataIn the same way that the testing infrastructure was aimed primarily at individuals, Closure of many public test sitesso With contact tracingIf someone tested positive for Covid-19, the responsibility was left to that person to notify the network.

“These conversations are not only much more widely accepted than they were a few years ago,” he said. Donald Yellychief medical officer of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, said, “They are actually expected more. Sharing that is an act of kindness.”

Telling people you’ve recently interacted with that you’ve become ill will give them the knowledge to get tested and isolate, hopefully preventing further transmission, especially to the elderly and immunocompromised. .

who to tell

You don’t have to alert everyone on your contact list that you have Covid-19, but you should notify those most likely to have contracted the virus from you. Regardless of whether — as well as those who were within arm’s reach outdoors 2 days before symptoms startor 2 days before taking the test if you have no symptoms.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says to notify anyone who’s been in close proximity for more than 15 minutes in a 24-hour period, but “the virus gains a foothold more easily now,” Yealy says. “Think of how close I was and how long it was. No.” Think: close partners, roommates, family members you live with, co-workers, friends you’ve met recently, your child’s teacher (if your child tests positive), or the host of a party or wedding you attended.

The organizer or organizer of an event with a small number of people or more, Communicate to as many attendees as possible Either they got Covid-19 or another guest. “We often don’t know everything about a patient’s health. [other attendees]’ says Yerry. “We can have a really hard time quantifying how close the contact is. Lizzie PostCo-president of the Emily Post Institute and author of many etiquette books, she tested positive for Covid-19 after attending a friend’s Independence Day party. She texted the news to the host, who informed the rest of the attendees.

If you attend the same event as an older person or know that someone has an underlying medical condition, even if you don’t necessarily need to interact with them, you may say, “The risk of infection is high, so I’ll let people know,” Yealy says. Say.

Of course, some people may not know. A waiter at a restaurant, a friend of a friend at a party, and so on. But you should do your best to contact everyone who was nearby, says Yealy.

when to share

If you feel sick enough to need testing, We need to start notifying networks that they may be infected with CovidGiven the relative availability of rapid tests, a diagnosis can be made fairly quickly after symptoms appear. You can tell them what you did and that you’ve been exposed to bad weather in the meantime. Yely warns you not to attend social events, work or school if you have any respiratory or gastrointestinal symptoms.

Of course, if you test positive, whether it’s a rapid test or a PCR test, you’ll need to go through your close contact list. Effective early in infection.

How to notify the network

As for the actual message and how it’s delivered, you communicate with your contacts the same way you would normally. Prefer text over phone? keep it up. Would you like to send regular emails to book club members? Select Email. “Get in touch with people in the way they usually communicate the most, because that’s what they’re most likely to pay attention to,” says Post.

Be as candid as possible in your deliveries and stick to the facts. Tell them when you tested positive and if you had any symptoms. The Post wrote, “I wanted to let you know that I tested positive for Covid-19 today. The last time we met was when I was able to pick it up and spread it to others. The same approach applies to everyone, from friends and family to bosses and children’s schools: “I keep it very factual and direct,” says Yealy. says.

You may be tempted to apologize for exposing others, but remember you didn’t mean to get sick, says marriage and family therapist Abby Chrome. Accidents happen. “She tends to blame herself because she has a hard time admitting she’s out of control,” she says. “So it’s pretty easy to feel like you’re in control, even if you’re blaming yourself.” I tried to minimize the , but I realized I was wrong.”

if you Notice to guests If you are describing the event on behalf of another guest who has become ill, please do not mention their name and simply say, “I just wanted to let you know that another guest has tested positive.”

reaction management

A Covid-19 diagnosis is far less shameful than it was two years ago, but an estimated 82% of people in the United States infected with the virus at least once, after all, some people get less-than-positive reactions when they share the news. “Why are you so careless?” or “I was supposed to go to my cousin’s wedding. I can’t believe you would risk it.”

Consider whether what they say is true: Were you careless? Did you deliberately endanger their health or travel plans? To take responsibility, but it may not be our responsibility, so it’s not a healthy instinct,” says Krom. You may need to cool the person’s space. Then, to resume the conversation later, he says: do you still feel that way? Can we talk more about that? ’ suggests Chrom.

Another reaction might be pure curiosity. A friend who asks about where you may have been exposed to Covid-19 and describes your symptoms. Post said having access to this information for networks could help determine when they need to be tested and if they need to notify networks of a possible exposure. . However, he is not obligated to publish everything, says Krom. If you don’t want to share, try replying, “I’m a little overwhelmed and I’m still digesting the news.”

The reality is that most people understand and appreciate this insight, Post said. Of the nearly 20 people she informed of their Covid diagnosis, none were upset. “I definitely felt guilty about the fact that they had to. They were really nice about it,” Post says. Please, don’t go into fear-first mode, go to information and questions, be curious and investigate.”

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