Changes to COVID guidelines

DES MOINES - The Iowa Department of Public Health notified local public health departments that it is making a change to the Iowa quarantine recommendations for people that have been exposed to a positive case of COVID-19, and Howard County Public Health is implemented this change, effective Sept. 28.

• Close contacts of COVID-positive cases will no longer need to quarantine for 14 days if a face covering was consistently worn by both people covering both mouth and nose during the exposure. The positive case must isolate. The close contacts should self-monitor.

• Close contacts should self-monitor for COVID-19 symptoms over the subsequent 14 days, staying home if any symptoms develop, and speaking with a healthcare provider about COVID-19 testing in the case of any illness.

• If people who are self-monitoring become ill but do not get tested, they should remain home until 10 days after symptom onset.

• Household/residential contacts and contacts in health care settings will still have the 14-day quarantine recommendation.

• Any type of face covering is acceptable; however, a face shield is not considered a face covering and quarantine is still required if one or both people were wearing a face shield only.

• People currently in quarantine may discontinue that quarantine if both people were wearing a face covering during the time of exposure.

• This is not a replacement for social distancing, but it should reduce the number of quarantines in school and work settings.

• This does NOT change the isolation requirements for people that are actually sick or COVID-positive to quarantine/ isolate from others until:

~ They have had no fever for at least 24 hours (that is one full day of no fever without the use of medicine that reduces fevers) and their other symptoms have improved, AND

~ At least 10 days have passed since their symptoms first appeared OR since they had a positive COVID test if they are asymptomatic.

This decision was made by the Iowa Department of Public Health based on observations within Iowa and some other states that when the COVID-positive case and close contacts were both wearing face coverings at the time of exposure, the contacts were much less likely to develop illness or later test positive. HCPH wants to emphasize the importance of wearing face coverings consistently and correctly, with it covering both the nose and the mouth. Other recommendations such as maintaining a social distance of six feet whenever possible, staying home when you are sick, and frequently washing or disinfecting hands continue to be important practices to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.