Dear PoPville

“covid exposure notification from a day they didn’t leave the house?”


Ed. Note: Locations and more info on new Covid Centers around town.

liana asks: “wondering if anyone has experience getting a covid exposure notification from a day they didn’t leave the house? or if it’s possible for your phone to think you were exposed if a neighbor tested positive (i.e., phones connected through the wall)? thx!”

Some folks experiences include:

“Had that exact thing just before Christmas! That was my theory too–all I did that day was laundry and I didn’t see anyone else while I was doing it so I had to assume it was neighbor phone proximity.”

“The system has been faulty. I received notification for exposure on a day I wasn’t even in DC. Tested negative to make sure. A friend who was in Europe received a notification for exposure for a date corresponding to her time in France”

“I left the house, but wasn’t near anyone for 15 minutes. I don’t think my next door (apartment) neighbor was in town, either. I actually got 2 notifications for that day – one 3 days after and one 11 days after.”

“Yes, I had this experience too, from a phone that charges on the side wall of a rowhouse, and also suspect it’s from a neighbor.”

“Iirc, phones exchange info through bluetooth-like tech for this. So quite possible to get notified if your neighbor tests positive.”

“I had the same thing happen on NYE- it’s reliant on when people report positive cases, so it could be off a day or two.

I would assume you were exposed though, and isolate / get tested, particularly if unvaccinated.”