So, the wife has a good probability of infection. She works at a hospital as PCT (used to be CNA before PC). Patient came in with high likelihood of COVID, Isolation protocols were put in place, initial test came back negative, they pulled precautions. Still using basic surgical masks and gloves (says right on box that it doesnt stop COVID-19). Patient is on assistive ventilation, aerosolized secretions. Doctor snaps and orders new test, of course it comes back positive. So now multiple staff are exposed, the bad kind with aerosolized secretions, thats the healthcare exposure they warn about. Of course today the hospital changes policy to mandatory eye protection (bit late knuckleheads) inept
I could co on about how pissed I am about this, and the fact that theyre not offering testing to exposed employees, and that the WHO recommendation is healthcare staff continue coming into work until they show symptoms, and the fact that staff wear the same mask for 12 hours and are scolded if they want to change them even though mask production is sufficient to support anything that comes at healthcare now. but thats a whole other rant. Moving forward we are treating the household as probably infected. Sons baptism sunday is postponed. But trying to figure timelines and how to handle exposure risks at my job. Trying to read up on all the current politically motivated data is a joke. Best I can tell is transmissibility minimum is 3 days, based on the newest harvard study. So assuming wife did get it, we have 3 days from initial exposure for her to infect me and 3 days after that that in transmissible, so working on a minimum 6 day window until I have to shut down contact. I already notified everybody that If I come in for anything (primarily working remote anyway) that ill be masked and gloved (lol, cloth masks from her insurance provider) and wont be within 6 feet of anybody. After the 6 days until she is cleared, I wont be making in person contact with anyone. If I enter the office, masked and gloved, sanitize everything as i come out. We already have staff separation, with different entrances for everyone. No one inside at the same time as me, ill try to limit in office to after hours. Any equipment I touch will be masked and gloved, will be placed in out non air conditioned garage (gets hot) for 24 hours before any other staff touches it and will be sanitized. My site work (assuming no positive tests or symptoms in my house) will be limited to me only and exterior work only, unmanned locations only, If any at risk climbing is required of me, a second ground 911 man present, in vehicle only. I I have to supervise any work, It will be from an isolated location. Any site area I am in is not to be entered for 24 hours. Any symptoms or positive tests in my house and we go on full quarantine. Ive made it abundantly clear that I think this whole thing is blown out of proportion, the masks are nothing more than something to make people feel like theyre doing something, even though theyre really not effective and come fall theyll be massive bacterial breeding grounds. But there is due diligence, and I think this plan of attack is pretty reasonable. It mitigates any risk while allowing us to maintain productivity (assuming no symptoms or positive tests). It feels like its something with minimal major company impact and id easy to replicate given that my spouse works in healthcare and this likely wont be the last high risk exposure. But I still am not matt hoppes level. At this time, I havent had any "exposure" but there is a probable looming exposure. I'm personally relieved that its probably in my house now, and we have time to prepare for the inevitable. Im high risk because of COPD, so theres that, but Ive already made right with that. Id rather just get it over with, I had planned to get exposed a while back to get past it but got that plan taken out from under me. We may "luck out" and this exposure was a near miss, but if transmissibility is anywhere near what the politics say it is, this ones all but certain. I think the 6 day window is a logical one to increase precautions until we are past it. I think the non contact addresses any risk to coworkers. I think the timeframe between shared surface/inventory contact is reasonable and "science based". and after 14 days from the last exposure (she was exposed over two consecutive 12 hour shifts) is a good window for increased precautions to be in play, with a review and swap test at the drive through site nearby. anybody but matt have any thoughts on this plan. I really think its more than what is actually needed, but meets the abundance of caution threshold
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