Did you find this answer helpful? Subscribe to keep up with all things Lifelong Learning.
My nephew tested positive in the porch of his grandparents house on Easter. Both grandparents are severely immune compromised. All are vaccinated. The choice was made by those involved to let my nephew into the house and isolate in an upstairs bedroom. The immediate members of his family tested negative and the grandparents did not test (they have not gone out publicly to many places at all in the past two years. I want to know the risk involved in this decision and more pressing is the positive person is the host of a bar mitzvah celebration indoors 7 days after the positive test. The family wants to continue with the celebration since at this point he has no symptoms. Should this party be cancelled? His grandparents plan to attend the party.
There is no 100% guaranteed risk-free scenario but I think there are some important factors and considerations that can be made. Ensuring that everyone is vaccinated and up to date with their booster doses of Covid vaccines is one of the most major steps to undertake. The isolation period from covid infection is at least 5 days, thereafter the individual is asked to wear a mask while in public for the next 5 days. So, the infected nephew can take a rapid antigen test on Day 5 of his quarantine or 24-48 hours prior to the bar mitzvah celebration AND then also test the same day of the celebration—if he can demonstrate that he is negative with the rapid antigen test then you can all be assured that the situation has less anticipated risk of his shedding of infectious viruses. I would still recommend that he and all others be masked as much as is possible. The venue where the bar mitzvah will be held should be well-ventilated; make sure that doors and windows are opened and fans are in place to move “fresh” air through the space. It would be better to have participants wear masks (well-fitting masks such as KN95 masks are preferred) for as long as possible. Attendees can also actively participate in making this important social event safer; each person can test themselves prior to arrival to ensure that they are not known to be infectious AND remain masked for as much or as long as possible.
