CDC Revises Definition of “Close Contact” for COVID-19
As cases of COVID-19 rise across the country, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have come out with new guidance about what qualifies as a “close contact.” The scientific and public health communities are still learning about COVID-19.
The CDC have revised the definition of “close contact” to reflect that even brief encounters with infected people can add up to a high risk “contact.” A “close contact” is now defined as “Someone who was within 6 feet of an infected person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period*.” This is for interactions starting from 2 days before illness onset or, for asymptomatic patients, 2 days prior to test specimen collection until the time the patient is isolated.” Previously that 15 minutes of contact was described as consecutive.
This reflects new information about a particular case in which a corrections officer contracted COVID-19 after being in contact with a series of infected patients awaiting test results for brief periods less than 15 minutes each, adding up to more than 15 minutes total. The person who contracted COVID-19 was wearing a mask during the interactions, while the infected patients were wearing their masks only during most interactions.
This new guidance reminds us that we are still learning about how to keep our communities safer during the COVID-19 pandemic. This has implications for contact tracing as well as our day to day choices. Contact tracers will now have to include contacts with more brief interactions in their contact tracing, whether the people involved were wearing a mask or not. People will have to be more careful, even in brief interactions. That means practice social distancing and wear your mask. Wear your mask, even when you are just stepping out to walk the dog. You may run into a neighbor and want to have a brief chat. Wear your mask in the office, even if you will just be passing by co-workers in the hall. Wear your mask.
