Potential COVID-19 exposures at Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences (CSAS) and Brainerd High School graduations
The Hamilton County Health Department, in partnership with Hamilton County Schools, is notifying the community about potential COVID-19 exposures that occurred at the CSAS High School graduation, Friday, June 26, and Brainerd High School graduation, Saturday, June 27.
Case investigations have revealed that each event had a person in attendance while in their infectious period. In both incidences, the individual was an audience member and sat in the stands. They were not students on the field. It is recommended that anyone who attended these events get tested and monitor their symptoms. For a link to COVID-19 symptoms, visit CDC.
Hamilton County Health Department data reveal that COVID-19 positive patients are coming into contact with more people than earlier in the pandemic. This is due in part to an increase in the number and size of public events where more people are present. Compounding this problem is that many people at these events are not wearing masks and not social distancing.
Additionally, symptomatic individuals who attended such events wrongly assumed they did not have COVID because they had mild symptoms and did not feel ill.
“It is extremely important to isolate at home if you are having COVID-19 symptoms of any kind,” said Health Department Administrator Becky Barnes, “More and more people who are symptomatic are going out and infecting other people. They have such mild symptoms; they wrongly assume they don’t have COVID.”
People with COVID-19 have reported a wide range of symptoms ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. People with the following symptoms may have COVID-19:
- Fever or chills
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Fatigue
- Muscle or body aches
- Headache
- New loss of taste or smell
- Sore throat
- Congestion or runny nose
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
This list does not include all possible symptoms. The CDC will continue to update their list as they learn more about the disease.
If a symptomatic individual is awaiting their test results, they should stay at home until they receive those results.
If an individual is COVID-19 positive and has mild to no symptoms, they can be infectious to others and should remain isolated at home until they are released from isolation by the Health Department.
If an individual has been told by the Health Department that they are a contact to a positive case, then they must remain at home during the entire quarantine period, even if they feel well and do not have symptoms.
In the two days leading up to the start of symptoms, an individual can be infectious to others.
The July 4th holiday weekend brings gatherings of all group sizes. The Health Department urges anyone who is having any COVID-19 symptoms to err on the cautious side and stay home, and get tested. For those who are well and attend such events, please wear a mask, stay 6 feet away from others not in your domestic unit, take hand sanitizer, and wash hands frequently.
Most importantly, if you are sick with any illness, stay home.
Free Health Department testing is available Friday, July 3, at Brainerd High School from 7AM to 11AM. Health Department testing sites will closed Saturday and Sunday in observance for the holiday, and reopen next week at East Lake Academy.
“We remind everyone that if you are experiencing any unusual symptoms at this time, please stay home,” said Health Department Administrator Becky Barnes, “Going out for any reason while symptomatic puts others at risk.”
For more information, please call the Health Department’s COVID-19 hotline at (423) 209-8383. The hotline will be open Friday 8AM-4PM but will be closed over the holiday weekend. Do not call Hamilton County Schools for information related to COVID-19 exposures.