What is "Close Contact"?

Do you know what they mean when they say “close contact”?  The CDC has published updated information clarifying exactly what “close contact” is when assessing exposure risk.

According to the most current information on the CDC website, having been in close contact means “someone was within six feet of an infected person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes over a 24-hour period starting from 2 days before the illness onset…until the time the patient is isolated.”  For asymptomatic patients, it is two days prior to testing.

Through its ongoing research, the CDC has discovered that shorter individual exposures over a 24-hour period has a cumulative effect.  If a person was exposed to someone with COVID-19 for several 3 - 5 minute intervals in 24 hours, the total exposure would equal 15 minutes and would then be considered close contact for the purposes of contact tracing. This close contact determination is whether your employees wear masks or not. Since most PPE is not rated N95 and may not fit properly, the CDC does not take mask use into consideration when conducting contact tracing.  However, the CDC continues to emphasize that wearing a mask is one of the best ways to fight against COVID-19.

This does not mean employers should discontinue mask use or other precautions. The more safety measures that are in place, the safer your employees will be overall.

For more information please visit the CDC website.