How To Stay Safe

A: The most most effective ways to reduce risk when gathering with others are to:

• Receive 2 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, and encourage others in your life to do the same.
• Wear a 2-ply face mask that fits well – no gaps! The latest guidelines from the CDC advise making sure your mask has a tight fit and even layering two masks together.
• Meet outdoors. If that’s not possible, meet indoors in a well-ventilated area.
• Keep a distance of 6 feet or more from people you don’t live with.

It is important to take these precautions even if you show no symptoms – the virus can be contagious before symptoms appear.

The latest research suggests that the coronavirus is transmitted through droplets in the air much more than from contaminated surfaces. This means that you do not need to disinfect groceries or other objects before they come into your home. However, it is still very important to wash your hands frequently and thoroughly.

If you take all of these precautions, your risk of COVID-19 will be low. Overall, the most important thing to do is to avoid contact with people you don’t live with.

A: From the Minnesota Department of Health: “Managing indoor air will not stop the spread of COVID-19 by itself, but it can lower the number of people infected when people also wear a face covering; stay at least 6 feet from others who are not household members; have good hand hygiene; clean and disinfect surfaces that are touched a lot; and take any other steps to control and stop infection.”

Some ways to keep indoor spaces safer include:

• Bringing in fresh outdoor air as much as possible (opening windows and doors, pulling air out of the room with fans and air conditioners, etc.)
• Keep the relative humidity low – between 40% and 60% in warm weather and lower in the winter.
• Keep as few people in the room as possible. A good guideline is about 50 square feet of space per person.
• Consider using rooms with high ceilings that have more space for anything in the air to move around and thin out.

Many more detailed suggestions can be found on the Minnesota Department of Health website.

For guidelines on safer ways to celebrate holidays or connect with others, see this page from MDH.

A: See the “What We Can Do” section of the Forward Together guide for information on your rights as a worker and ways to make your work environment safer.

If you do not feel that your employer is providing a safe work environment, you can submit an anonymous complaint to the Minnesota Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MNOSHA) and they will follow up with the facility within 2-3 business days. You can submit a complaint online at this link or call their complaint number at 651-284-5050.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the following groups have been identified with higher risk of getting very sick from this illness:

• Older adults
• People with serious chronic medical conditions like heart disease, diabetes, lung disease.

According to the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) underlying medical conditions that may increase the risk of serious COVID-19 for individuals of any age also include:

• Chronic kidney disease as defined by your doctor. Patient has been told to avoid or reduce the dose of medications because kidney disease, or is under treatment for kidney disease, including receiving dialysis.
• Chronic liver disease as defined by your doctor. (e.g., cirrhosis, chronic hepatitis) Patient has been told to avoid or reduce the dose of medications because liver disease or is under treatment for liver disease.
• Compromised immune system (immunosuppression) (e.g., seeing a doctor for cancer and treatment such as chemotherapy or radiation, received an organ or bone marrow transplant, taking high doses of corticosteroids or other immunosuppressant medications, HIV or AIDS).
• Current or recent pregnancy in the last two weeks.
• Endocrine disorders (e.g., diabetes mellitus).
• Metabolic disorders (such as inherited metabolic disorders and mitochondrial disorders).
• Heart disease (such as congenital heart disease, congestive heart failure and coronary artery disease).
• Lung disease including asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (chronic bronchitis or emphysema) or other chronic conditions associated with impaired lung function or that require home oxygen.
• Neurological and neurologic and neurodevelopment conditions [including disorders of the brain, spinal cord, peripheral nerve, and muscle such as cerebral palsy, epilepsy (seizure disorders), stroke, intellectual disability, moderate to severe developmental delay, muscular dystrophy, or spinal cord injury].

If you fall into one of the categories listed above, you are strongly encouraged to stay home and practice social distancing as recommended by the MDH. 

A: The answer to this question is dependent upon the health status of the person living with HIV. Folks whose HIV is considered to be “controlled” (e.g. higher CD4 cell count, taking antiretroviral therapy, undetectable viral load) have a similar risk of severe COVID-19 as people who are HIV-. Individuals with untreated or advanced HIV (e.g. CD4 cell count < 200, not taking ART, detectable viral load) and solid organ transplant recipients are at a higher risk for severe COVID-19 and hospitalization.

A: The most important step in preventing the spread of COVID-19 is to quarantine (quarantine related to the time following exposure of the virus or close contact with someone who tests positive for COVId-19.)  The CDC has changed the quarantine and isolation guidelines to reflect emerging data about incubation periods and spread of COVID-19. The guidelines have most recently been updated on January 4 to allow for different quarantine periods depending on your vaccination status. If you have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, follow the guidelines below.

Who does not need to quarantine:

• You are ages 18 or older and have received all recommended vaccine doses, including boosters and additional primary shots for some immunocompromised people.
• You are ages 5-17 years and completed the primary series of COVID-19 vaccines.
• You had confirmed COVID-19 within the last 90 days (you tested positive using a viral test).
• Instead of quarantining, you should wear a well-fitting (ideally N95 or surgical) mask around others for 10 days from the date of your last close contact with someone with COVID-19 (the date of the last close contact is considered day 0). Get tested at least 5 days after you last had close contact with someone with COVID-19. If you test positive or develop COVID-19 symptoms, isolate from other people and follow isolation recommendations.

Who does need to quarantine:

• You are ages 18 or older and completed the primary series of recommended vaccine, but have not received a recommended booster shot when eligible.
• You received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine (completing the primary series) over 2 months ago and have not received a recommended booster shot.
• You are not vaccinated or have not completed a primary vaccine series.

A: If you need to quarantine, stay home and away from other people for at least 5 days (day 0 through day 5) after your last contact with a person who has COVID-19. The date of your exposure is considered day 0. Wear a well-fitting mask when around others at home, if possible. Additionally, be sure to monitor for symptoms for 10 days after your last close contact with someone with COVID-19.

If you develop symptoms, get tested immediately (ideally with a PCR test) and isolate until your receive your test results. If you only have access to rapid tests, we suggest that you test at least twice, with each test taken 48-72 hours apart.

If you do not develop symptoms, get tested at least 5 days after you last had close contact with someone with COVID-19. If you test negative, you can leave your home but must wear a well-fitting mask when around others until 10 days after your last close contact with someone with COVID-19. If you test positive, follow isolation guidelines. Avoid people who are immunocompromised or at high risk for severe disease until after at least 10 days.

A: Public health experts agree that three-layer surgical masks and N95 masks offer the greatest protection against the Omicron variant. It seems that the time of the cloth mask is over, as it does not provide the protection you need. Omicron produces more virus than previous variants, including Delta, so it is all the more important to wear a mask that yields maximal protection. Recent data demonstrates that a person wearing an N95 mask can be protected for up to 2.5 hours, even while interacting with someone who is not wearing a mask at all.