As COVID-19 cases rise, what are the guidelines for returning to school, work post-virus?

Ana Rocío Álvarez Bríñez and Binghui Huang, Louisville Courier Journal

Family vacations are over, which means students are back in school and many adults are back to work — and COVID-19 cases are rising across the country.

Some adults may wonder how long they have to wait before heading back to the office once they've tested positive for COVID-19 and how many days they should keep coronavirus-positive kids at home.

Federal officials once recommended that people isolate at home for 10 days after a positive test. But those guidelines have changed dramatically.

Four years after the virus upended lives across the world, COVID-19 has become a lot less deadly, doctors say. That has prompted many people to treat the virus like any other infectious respiratory diseases, such as a cold or influenza. But there are still some risks and uncertainties around the disease, specifically the bouts of long-term symptoms that plague some patients for months or even years.

Others are reading: CDC says COVID is at 'very high' activity levels in some US states: See latest data

So what does that mean for those who get sick? How should they handle their return to normal life?

How many COVID-19 cases are in Kentucky?

According to the Kentucky Respiratory Disease Dashboard, emergency departments have had 762 visits by patients with COVID-19 in August of the 2023-2024 season. The dashboard was last updated on Thursday, Aug. 8.

In July, there were 1,726 visits to the emergency room, according to the dashboard.

In August of the 2023-2024 season, 171 people with COVID-19 were admitted to the hospital in Kentucky, according to the dashboard, which was last updated on Thursday. In July, 459 people were admitted to the hospital with COVID-19.

When can students return to school at JCPS?

Jefferson County Public Schools spokesperson Carolyn Callahan said students can return to school when their symptoms have improved and if they have not have a fever for the past 24 without medicine.

She said students must mask for five days when they return to school.

Can I go to work if I have COVID?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention earlier this year dropped its recommendation that adults stay at home for five days after a positive test, a controversial decision that elicited opposition from some doctors and public health experts.

Since March, the CDC has recommended people stay at home until their symptoms are improving and they have been fever-free for at least a day.

However, local doctors say it's best to stay at home for five days if possible, especially for those who may come into contact with people at higher risk for severe COVID-19 symptoms.

Older adults and those with chronic health issues and compromised immune systems are at risk for severe COVID that could lead to hospitalization and or symptoms that last months. So those who take care of older parents or who work in health care facilities may want to be more cautious by staying at home and mask when they see vulnerable people.

Regardless of which virus a person has, COVID-19 has taught everyone that respiratory diseases like COVID and the flu spread through droplets when people are talking or coughing, said Dr. Robin Ledyard, an administrator at Community Health Network. So, no matter the virus, masks can reduce transmission.

Should people still test for COVID-19?

Those at risk of developing severe and long COVID-19 symptoms should get tested and treated, said Carlos.

Long COVID-19 symptoms include fatigue, brain fog, joint aches and even a fast heart rate that comes out of nowhere, he said.

What are the COVID-19 symptoms?

People with COVID-19 can start showing symptoms 2-14 days after they have been exposed to the virus, according to the CDC.

Although not all of them, since they can change with the new variants, here are some of the symptoms people can experience:

  • Congestion or runny nose

  • Cough

  • Diarrhea

  • Fatigue

  • Fever or chills

  • Headache

  • Nausea or vomiting

  • New loss of taste or smell

  • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

  • Sore throat

  • Muscle or body aches

Others are reading: What are CDC guidelines for summer COVID surge? Symptoms, long covid, free tests, vaccines

Chris Sims contributed to this article.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: COVID-19: When can I return to school? When can I return to work?

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