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Who is a "Close Contact" at Practice
Who is a "Close Contact" at Practice
Many of us know someone, perhaps even in our own family, who has been told they have been determined to be a close contact. So far this school year we have had three instances where an athlete on the team has tested positive for Covid and teammates have been considered close contacts. But how do we make this determination at practice?
We developed a protocol through working with the Ensworth School’s main coordinator for Covid related issues pertaining specifically to students. We developed this protocol keeping in mind Nashville’s guidance on pool operations and doing what we can to maintain social distancing to the best extent possible.
Ensworth Aquatics Positive Case Protocol
Ensworth Aquatics Positive Case Protocol
Interview that athlete and/or their parent (depending on age)
Identify the 48-hour window preceding either the onset of symptoms or the day someone got tested (for asymptomatic people)
Identify whether that person was at practice or a swim meet during that 48-hour window
If they attended practice, identify who they shared a lane with and who swam in the lanes immediately bordering their lane
Utilize Ensworth’s security camera footage to confirm the athlete’s account and/or determine if anyone else was swimming either in their lane or the lane next to them
Identify the person in their lane, and those swimming in the lanes immediately next to them, as close contacts and relay that information to the parent
The CDC considers a close contact anyone who has been within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes in the 48-hour window preceding the onset of symptoms or the collection of a specimen for asymptomatic people. While we take great pains to split our athletes up on two sides of the pool with no more than 2 per lane, it is still likely that the person sharing the lane and the people in the lanes on either side of the lane of a person who was positive did spend a total of 15 or more minutes within 6 feet of that person.
That is why we have determined that anyone in that lane or on either side will be considered a close contact and is not permitted to come back to practice for ten days. This also follows Ensworth’s policy with its own students. Many parents ask if they can have their child (close contact) take a test and, if it is negative, bring them back to practice. The answer is no. While being labeled a close contact is certainly inconvenient, it is important that we stick to the protocols.
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