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Knowing if a contact of a Covid case?

Knowing if a contact of a Covid case?

NoCares
Joined: This month
Posts: 3009

NoCares
Joined: This month
Posts: 3009

Knowing if a contact of a Covid case?
5/1/2021 at 1:48 PM

The following post is in response to a post in the main Covid facts thread advising of reported Covid cases in a staff member at each of Brandon Superstore (April 17) and Brandon Sobeys South (April 17):
* * * * * * *
With the Superstore (or any store) cases, how would one know if they were in contact? I know they say infection is normally caused by exposure longer than 10 mins, but both Superstore cases, I shopped there both days (Mar 28th and Apr 17).

Of coutse, both released info 2 weeks later, and I never had amy symptoms, but how would one know or anything? They do not write down shoppers info (like how restaraunts do), and if a person pays cash, no name there. Might be able to track if they scanned their PC points card, but not everyone has one of those.

I guess I am just confused how it works with all of this.
JessieJay
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 796

JessieJay
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 796

I thought
5/1/2021 at 2:20 PM

That with store related contacts, that is why they release name of store with the dates and times of possible exposure. That way anyone who was in the store on that day, during those times, will know they may have been exposed. There is no possible way they can find everyone who was in the store at that time, so it is up to you to see the notice and take appropriate action.
NoCares
Joined: This month
Posts: 3009

NoCares
Joined: This month
Posts: 3009

Kahavvr
5/1/2021 at 2:30 PM

I understand it would be super hard for stores to do contact tracing, but I mean, both notices I saw here on eBrandon, that were released approx 11-14 days after the employee works last.

So Im guessing I just got lucky and wasnt near said persons on both attempts, as I feel perfectly fine.

What I really do not understand, is if an employee last worked on Apr 17th, how come we are just getting the info now? Maybe I am just tired of hearing/reading all this COVID stuff that I am just not thinking straight anymore LOL.
Abbysmum
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 5039

Abbysmum
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 5039

Contacts
5/1/2021 at 3:09 PM

As a general rule, if you're following protocols you shouldn't be close contacts with anyone while shopping. That being said, transmissions can and do happen in that setting.

We keep track of our comings and goings, so we have a record of where we were then. Yes, sometimes we don't find out about possible exposures for a week or two - by the time someone shows symptoms, gets tested, has public health etc, that's just how long it can take.

That's why it's critically important to monitor your own health and to isolate and get tested as soon as you develop symptoms, even when you have no known contact with a case.
Bluebell
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 1233

Bluebell
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 1233

...
5/1/2021 at 4:14 PM

It is just to let you know you MAY have been in contact, so to self monitor. But the reality is you may be in contact at any time or any place, and we all should be self monitoring our symptoms.

If you were considered as a close contact (say at your work place or someone's house when it was allowed, for an extended period of time, esp not wearing a mask) THEN you would be contacted by public health and advised to isolate for 14 days.
Adam

Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 15663

Adam
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 15663

Contact
5/1/2021 at 4:42 PM

Officially on the exposures page, the provinces asks:
"If you have visited one of these sites on the dates/times (below), you do not need to self-isolate. However, you should self-monitor for symptoms and seek testing if symptoms develop"
When the province puts out a notice, it's supposed be in cases where they arent confident they can privately sort out and get in touch with potential close contacts of a case. In an office environment, you get a list of co-workers and get in touch. Generally speaking a place more frequented by the public like a grocery store would I'd think be a good example of a situation where you can't possibly get in touch with everyone who was there on that day. Someone can add if they can more specifically cite, but believe they also factor in stuff like whether the case was symptomatic at the time and nature of any contact with the public.
Will just point out that we havent seen either grocery store case or the recent Qdoba staff one show up on the provincial exposures page. Not clear if that's because they're still doing the contact tracing on these cases, behind on updating the list or if there's been a determination on likelihood of exposure that led to not being listed. Either way, at this point with case numbers on the rise (+16 in Brandon in the update today, +56 over the past seven days) and with exposures popping up in busier places like this I'd go on the assumption that we're seeing more community transmission potential than we've seen in some time and that it could literally be at anywhere at any point in time. Puts extra importance on all of those fundamentals they've been preaching for a year and extra emphasis on the idea of staying home unless needing to go out, making use of curbside pickup where possible and all of those things that keep contacts down. If you have symptoms, get tested ASAP, stay home and follow directions given when tested