SWEETWATER COUNTY — The Wyoming Department of Health (WDH) is providing guidance on test-to-stay protocols for students in K-12 schools and early childhood education centers starting in January of 2022.

The Sweetwater County Public Health office released another COVID-19 update with the following new information:

According to the WDH’s Test-to-Stay protocol guidance, “The WDH has prioritized safe in-person education during the COVID-19 pandemic. As of January 2022, all K-12 staff and students aged 5 years and older have had the opportunity to become fully vaccinated against COVID-19.”

The guidance goes on to state, “Data collected during the fall of 2021 in several locations in the United States have indicated that daily testing of close contacts (test to stay) is a strategy that allows students to remain in educational settings while also helping to prevent the spread of COVID-19.”

The WDH is recommending K-12 schools and early childhood education centers implement a test-to-stay protocol for close contacts.

“WDH recommends this protocol as an alternative to quarantine protocols that require students to remain at home,” the guidance document states.

Individuals for Whom this Protocol Applies

This protocol applies to students who have been identified as close contacts to an individual who is infectious with COVID-19 and would otherwise be recommended to stay home from school.

As a reminder, the following individuals are not recommended to stay home from school after an exposure to COVID-19 and can return to school after an exposure without daily testing:

• Individuals who are fully vaccinated
• Individuals who are exposed to COVID-19 in a situation where both the person exposed and the infectious person are wearing masks appropriately
• Individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19 within the previous 90 days

Test to Stay K-12 Protocol

Students identified as close contacts to a person infectious with COVID-19 and who would otherwise be recommended to stay home from school may remain in school under the following protocol:

• The close contact remains asymptomatic
• Any close contact 2 years of age and older wears a mask in school at all times, other than when eating, drinking, sleeping, or participating in artistic or athletic activities that cannot be done while wearing a mask. When not wearing a mask, distancing of six feet should be maintained to the extent possible
• Tests negative on a rapid COVID-19 test (molecular or antigen) on each school day
• If school events occur on weekends, the close contact should receive a negative test on that weekend day prior to participation in the event
• On weekend days or holidays without school events, the close contact does not need to be tested. WDH recommends that the close contact stay home on these days.
• If the close contact develops symptoms or tests positive, he or she should stay home from school and refrain from participating in extracurricular events
• This protocol is in effect for 7 days after the exposure. This protocol can be discontinued at day 8 after the exposure

As for testing, any FDA-authorized rapid COVID-19 viral test may be used for daily testing. This includes both molecular and antigen tests. Antibody tests cannot be used for test to stay purposes.

Close Contacts Who Develop Symptoms or Test Positive

Close contacts participating in the test-to-stay protocol who develop symptoms compatible with COVID-19, but are not tested for COVID-19 should remain home from school for 10 days after the onset of symptoms.

Close contacts participating in the test-to-stay protocol who develop symptoms and test negative on a rapid COVID-19 test should remain home from school. They can return to school once they have received a negative laboratory-based molecular COVID-19 test and symptoms have resolved for 24 hours.

Close contacts participating in the test-to-stay protocol who test positive on a COVID-19 test, whether symptomatic or asymptomatic, should stay home from school until 10 days after the onset of symptoms or, if asymptomatic, 10 days after the positive test.

To review all of the WDH’s Guidance, see the document below.

Public Health Update

Omicron has been detected in the majority of United States. The Omicron variant is increasing and modeling of genomic surveillance predicts that Omicron will become the most common variant nationally by December 25, 2021.

There is evidence of both increased transmissibility and the ability to evade immunity. According to the CDC, data also shows that vaccinated people who receive a booster dose or vaccinated people who were previously infected are likely to have strong protection against Omicron.

More data is needed to know if Omicron infections, and especially reinfections and breakthrough infections in people who are fully vaccinated, cause more severe illness or death than infections with other variants. Current vaccines are expected to protect against severe illness, hospitalizations, and deaths due to infection with the Omicron variant.

Hospital Update

Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County continues to see decrease in the number of COVID-19 inpatients, but is preparing for an increase due to holiday gatherings and Omicron surge that is trending nationwide.

MHSC continues to offer its vaccine and booster drive-thru from 3-6 p.m. every Tuesday and Wednesday. The swab clinic drive-thru continues to be available from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The swab clinic will be closed on Christmas, Saturday, December 25, and New Year’s Day, Saturday, January 1.