CDC redefines COVID-19 close contact, adds brief encounters

[brooklynite]

Source: AP News

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. health officials Wednesday redefined what counts as close contact with someone with COVID-19 to include briefer but repeated encounters.

For months, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said close contact meant spending a solid 15 minutes within 6 feet of someone who tested positive for coronavirus. On Wednesday, the CDC changed it to a total of 15 minutes or more — so shorter but repeated contacts that add up to 15 minutes over a 24-hour period now count.

The CDC advises anyone who has been in close contact with a COVID-19 patient to quarantine for two weeks.

The change may prompt health departments to do contact tracing in cases where an exposure might previously have been considered too brief, said Dr. William Schaffner, a Vanderbilt University infectious diseases expert.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-health-infectious-diseases-1fb2e2a5b3fc0dd61f5756277c2d9364?utm_medium=APHealthScience&utm_source=Twitter&utm_campaign=SocialFlow

[uppityperson]

1. Does this mean every nurse who cares for covid+ patient must quarantine for

2 weeks if the total time in 24 hrs < 15 min?

[DeminPennswoods]

2. It's apparently based on at least 1 person repeatedly interacting

with an infected person for short periods, then contracting cv19.

[LisaL]

4. We'd be out of nurses if that was the case.

NT

[uppityperson]

5. Yup nt

[ProfessorGAC]

3. IDPH Did That Months Ago

IDPH is Illinois Department of Health.
This definition of contact was done in late June well in advance of schools reopening.
All the schools around here are following that model. I sub in 12 different districts. I've gotten the policy bullet points from all of them. 4 or 5 sent the PDF of the entire policy.
They all define contact with a maskless person as less than 6' for 15 minutes cumulative. For tracing, it goes both ways.
I see the PE teachers in a tough spot! One class of 20 kids, 5 times a day, and 100% have to stay 6' away or EVERYONE is a contact! 6 kids in each class near them for 30 seconds?!?!? Not sure how they're managing that!