June 13, 2020
Quarantine Guidance: What to do if you were exposed to someone with the novel
coronavirus (COVID-19)
COVID-19 is a respiratory disease caused by a new virus called SARS-CoV-2. The most
common symptoms of the disease are fever, cough, and shortness of breath. Other symptoms
may also include fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat,
congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, or diarrhea. Most people with COVID-19 will
have mild disease, but some people will get sicker and may need to be hospitalized. If you have
contracted the virus, symptoms may develop within 2 to 14 days from exposure. Unless
precautions are taken, your health is at risk, and other people may possibly contract this disease
from you.
You will be contacted by the Georgia Department of Public Health if we have determined that
you have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 or if a close contact of yours supplied your
information because they tested positive for COVID-19. In order to prevent the spread of
disease, and help advise you if you do develop symptoms of COVID-19, please respond to the
phone call from public health. Additionally, if you are reviewing this information online because
you know, or believe, that you are a close contact of a COVID19 case but have not yet been
contact by DPH, please follow the guidance below.
It is very important for your own safety and for the safety of others that you monitor your health
for 14 days from your last possible exposure to COVID-19, and that you remain at home, avoid
congregate settings and public activities, and practice social distancing. You are required to
cooperate fully with all state and federal public health authorities, including the Georgia
Department of Public Health, and to follow the measures outlined below. The Georgia
Administrative Order for Public Health Control Measures can be found here:
https://dph.georgia.gov/document/document/secondamendedaoiq41201pdf/download
Specifically, you agree to:
If you are not sick, you agree to monitor your health for fever, cough and shortness of breath
during the 14 days after the last day you were in close contact with the sick person with COVID-19.
• Check your temperature twice a day and watch for symptoms.
• Quarantine yourself at home except in case of emergency.
o If you are a health care provider, emergency medical services worker, first
responder, or other critical infrastructure worker, you may continue to work, in
consultation with your workplace occupational health program and if necessary to
ensure adequate staffing, if you have no symptoms, wear a mask while on duty,
and remain at home at all other times.
• If possible, stay away from other people living in your home, especially those who are at high risk for getting very sick from COVID-19: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/index.html
• Enroll in active monitoring. Through active monitoring, you will report your temperature and any symptoms to the Georgia Department of Public Health each day, either by responding to a text message or calling 1-888-357-0169 if you are unable to text.
• If you have not been contacted by public health, you can notify public health here: https://intake-app-dot-gdph-erm-qa.appspot.com/
COVID-19 Testing. You should obtain a test for COVID-19 at least once during your quarantine. If you have no symptoms, the test should take place on the 10thday of quarantine. You should obtain a test earlier in your quarantine if you experience any of the following symptoms:
• Fever (measured temperature above 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit, or you feel feverish)
• Chills
• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Fatigue
• Muscle or body aches
• Headache
• New loss of taste or smell
• Sore throat
• Congestion or runny nose
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea
Call your local health department to schedule testing. You can find contact information for your health department here: https://dph.georgia.gov/document/document/covid-19-testingdirect-patient-line/download. Please note that even if your test results are negative, you still must remain in quarantine for the entire 14 days. If you develop symptoms of COVID-19 at any point during your quarantine period, please follow the guidance below “What should I do if I am a close contact to someone with COVID-19 and get sick?”.
If you seek a test on day 10 of your quarantine, ideally your results should be available by day 14. It is recommended that you do not return to work until a negative result is returned. If your results are still pending after your 14 day quarantine is complete, and you decide to return to work, we recommend that you take extra care with prevention measures to avoid exposure to others in the event that your test result comes back as positive.
If you receive a positive COVID-19 test regardless of your symptom status, you must follow DPH isolation guidelines https://dph.georgia.gov/isolation-contact.
Return To Work Guidance After Exposure
• If you are a Healthcare Worker, please follow guidance from DPH https://dph.georgia.gov/document/document/dph-return-work-guidance-03-26-2020/download