Two Missouri hairdressers who had coronavirus saw 140 clients, but no one became infected
Of the 140 clients and seven associates potentially exposed, 46 were tested for negative results. All others were quarantined for the duration of the coronavirus incubation. A 14-day incubation period has passed, with no new salon-related infections, county health officials said.
During quarantine, those who did not get tested received a call twice a day from health officials who asked if they had symptoms associated with Covid-19, said Kathryn Wall, a spokeswoman for the Springfield-Green County Department of Health.
County health officials called the results encouraging and said they were looking to the case to see how to stop the spread and help with efforts in future research.
“This is exciting news about the value of masking to prevent Covid-19,” said Clay Goddard, county health director. “We are taking a closer look at the details of these exposures, including what types of face wraps are and what other precautions have led to this encouraging result.”
One hairdresser worked with 56 clients in the salon, while another saw 84 customers and seven associates. They went to the salon for about eight days, which ended on May 20.
The salon kept impeccable records that made it possible to track contacts, Goddard said. But he warned of the risks of over-consumption of resources in such incidents.
“We can’t have many more,” he said last month. “We can’t make it a regular habit or our opportunities as a community will be strained.”
In a statement, Great Clips said he welcomed the results.
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