(Washington, DC) — The CDC is expanding its definition of a “close contact” when it comes to coronavirus. Instead of 15 consecutive minutes within six feet, the time is being spread out. A close contact is now described as someone who was within six feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes over 24 hours. The change will most affect schools, workplaces and other locations where people gather for extended periods of time. The CDC website even admits this is a sketchy measure: “Data are limited, making it difficult to precisely define “close contact;”
Released two hours ago, below is the explanation from cdc.gov:
Leslie Rae Copyright © 2020 TTWN Media Networks Inc.
Someone who was within 6 feet of an infected person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period* 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.
* Individual exposures added together over a 24-hour period (e.g., three 5-minute exposures for a total of 15 minutes). Data are limited, making it difficult to precisely define “close contact;” however, 15 cumulative minutes of exposure at a distance of 6 feet or less can be used as an operational definition for contact investigation. Factors to consider when defining close contact include proximity (closer distance likely increases exposure risk), the duration of exposure (longer exposure time likely increases exposure risk), whether the infected individual has symptoms (the period around onset of symptoms is associated with the highest levels of viral shedding), if the infected person was likely to generate respiratory aerosols (e.g., was coughing, singing, shouting), and other environmental factors (crowding, adequacy of ventilation, whether exposure was indoors or outdoors). Because the general public has not received training on proper selection and use of respiratory PPE, such as an N95, the determination of close contact should generally be made irrespective of whether the contact was wearing respiratory PPE. At this time, differential determination of close contact for those using fabric face coverings is not recommended.
