[M T]

Yes, not all likely infected patients are being tested. Here in Santa Clara County, my daughter had a high-risk exposure (60 minutes 2 feet away from another student who became symptomatic later that day and tested positive) and was put in 14-day quarantine within our house as a result. Her physician checked with the Dept. of Public Health and was told she would not be tested if she became symptomatic because she would be presumed infected. Presumably she would not be counted in the official totals if she became symptomatic, unless she needed hospitalization (fortunately, she just ended the 14 days asymptomatic). On the other hand, they said if my wife or I became symptomatic, we'd get tested. 

That's good news!

Very informative.  I had not heard this was the protocol, but it makes sense.  It muddies the statistics that such an exposed person would not become a confirmed case, but it is the people we want to preserve, not the stats.  Santa Clara County has been perhaps intentionally ambiguous between confirmed positive and presumed positive cases.

I'm very glad this seems to have turned out well.   14 days is not the absolute upper limit seen on incubation time, and there is the possibility of your daughter being asymptomatic, so do keep your guard up.   When the antibody tests are available, it would be interesting and informative to know if your daughter has antibodies.

This is also good news that close proximity does not necessarily mean that you get the disease.  I will share this story with someone who is feeling pretty scared about disease.

[M T]

Yes, not all likely infected patients are being tested. Here in Santa Clara County, my daughter had a high-risk exposure (60 minutes 2 feet away from another student who became symptomatic later that day and tested positive) and was put in 14-day quarantine within our house as a result. Her physician checked with the Dept. of Public Health and was told she would not be tested if she became symptomatic because she would be presumed infected. Presumably she would not be counted in the official totals if she became symptomatic, unless she needed hospitalization (fortunately, she just ended the 14 days asymptomatic). On the other hand, they said if my wife or I became symptomatic, we'd get tested. 

That's good news!

Very informative.  I had not heard this was the protocol, but it makes sense.  It muddies the statistics that such an exposed person would not become a confirmed case, but it is the people we want to preserve, not the stats.  Santa Clara County has been perhaps intentionally ambiguous between confirmed positive and presumed positive cases.

I'm very glad this seems to have turned out well.   14 days is not the absolute upper limit seen on incubation time, and there is the possibility of your daughter being asymptomatic, so do keep your guard up.   When the antibody tests are available, it would be interesting and informative to know if your daughter has antibodies.

This is also good news that close proximity does not necessarily mean that you get the disease.  I will share this story with someone who is feeling pretty scared about disease.