These close contact measurements are used by the CDC to conduct contact tracing, which is how health officials identify people who have the coronavirus and who they could’ve infected in order to initiate isolation and quarantine to try to stop the spread. If you are someone who is considered to be in close contact with someone infected with COVID-19, health officials may reach out to notify you of your potential exposure, refer you for testing, and monitor you for signs and symptoms of the coronavirus.ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb Even if you’re wearing a face mask during an interaction with someone who turns out to be COVID-19 positive, the CDC says you are still considered a close contact. “Cloth face coverings are meant to prevent someone from transmitting the disease to others, and not to protect someone from becoming infected,” the CDC explains. So if you find out that you have been exposed to the coronavirus by being in close contact with an infected person, what should you do? The CDC recommends that you stay home and maintain at least six feet of distance from anyone else until 14 days after you were first exposed to an infected person. They also recommend that any close contacts “monitor themselves by checking their temperature twice daily and watching for symptoms of COVID-19.” RELATED: For more up-to-date information, sign up for our daily newsletter. However, it’s important to remember that it’s wholly possible you could’ve had an interaction with someone who’s infected with the coronavirus and not known that was the case. This is why the CDC recommends that you follow all coronavirus safety practices like maintaining six feet of distance between you and others to prevent being hit with respiratory droplets, wearing a face mask to protect others from your droplets, and washing your hands in case you have touched a contaminated surface. If you do notice any coronavirus symptoms, you should self-quarantine for at least 10 days after the onset of your symptoms. And for more ways to avoid the spread, check out Here’s How Just One Day of Social Distancing Slows the Spread.
