# Does my work need to let us know if someone in the office tests positive? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Quarantine Zone\ **Tags:** covid-quarantine\ **Created:** [June 9, 2020, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-my-work-need-to-let-us-know-if-someone-in-the-office-tests-positive/855283 "2020-06-09T04:28:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![jonesj2205](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecc23a/32.png) [@jonesj2205](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jonesj2205)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2020, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-my-work-need-to-let-us-know-if-someone-in-the-office-tests-positive/855283/21 "2020-06-10T12:58:39Z")
HIPAA laws are 100% in play. And prevent people who have information from disclosing it to unauthorized people. Co-workers are unauthorized people. The patient can tell whoever they want. There are very serious penalties associated with violating it that - pandemic or no pandemic - have not been eased. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2020, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-my-work-need-to-let-us-know-if-someone-in-the-office-tests-positive/855283/22 "2020-06-10T13:34:27Z")
When I got to work today, I was told that a co-worker had tested positive, and another is suspected but still awaiting results. I’m waiting with interest to see what official actions will be taken. We were all being “encouraged” to get a test, and I declined. Looks like I’ll have to do it now after all. Balls! ---
**Author:** ![Palo\_Verde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/65b543/32.png) [@Palo\_Verde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palo_Verde)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2020, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-my-work-need-to-let-us-know-if-someone-in-the-office-tests-positive/855283/23 "2020-06-10T15:07:14Z")
I’m no HIPPA expert. But while I can understand the problem if they said “Sarah, the receptionist, is positive for COVID,” I don’t understand the problem with saying “Someone at the office has tested positive for COVID.” Now it’s a small enough office that everyone would guess they mean Sarah, but it wasn’t announced, so wouldn’t they be covered? ---
**Author:** ![Pantastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3bc359/32.png) [@Pantastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pantastic)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2020, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-my-work-need-to-let-us-know-if-someone-in-the-office-tests-positive/855283/24 "2020-06-10T15:15:41Z")
> [@UDS](#): > > (a) Presumably anyone taking more than a day or two’s sick leave has to produce a medical certificate, or otherwise satisfy the employer that they are ill? The nature of the illness may emerge at that point. While I know there are awful jobs like that, in all of the office jobs I’ve had there was never any need to provide any kind of doctor’s note for taking ordinary (not FMLA and the like) sick leave. I’ve called out for a week before with a bad cold and no one asked for some kind of ‘medical certificate’. I’ve never been clear on what the point of the exercise is, as the majority of the time there’s no conclusive medical test for a specific condition, just ‘you have a bad cold, take plenty of fluids and rest until it’s done’ with maybe ‘since your cough is bad, here’s some prescription cough syrup’ or ‘since this might include a sinus infection, here’s a z-pack’. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2020, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-my-work-need-to-let-us-know-if-someone-in-the-office-tests-positive/855283/25 "2020-06-10T18:19:25Z")
> [@jonesj2205](#): > > HIPAA laws are 100% in play. And prevent people who have information from disclosing it to unauthorized people. Co-workers are unauthorized people. The patient can tell whoever they want. > There are very serious penalties associated with violating it that - pandemic or no pandemic - have not been eased. [HIPAA provisions have been eased](https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-professionals/special-topics/hipaa-covid19/index.html). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-my-work-need-to-let-us-know-if-someone-in-the-office-tests-positive/855283.md?page=1)