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CDC defines 'close contact’ as being within 6 feet of a COVID-19 infected person for a total of 15 minutes in a day

Definition of ‘close contact’ shifts due to research

DETROIT – Until now the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defined “close contact” with COVID-19 as spending 15 consecutive minutes within 6 feet of someone who is positive.

Researchers have discovered much shorter exposures can also spread the virus, especially if those exposures are repeated. That discovery has implications for schools, workplaces and all sorts of gatherings.

READ: NIH study looks at potential COVID-19 treatments

The update comes after new research shows that cumulative time around infected people, if it is multiple, but brief encounters is just as important.

The CDC study examined the case of a male Vermont correctional officer who had multiple brief interactions with six incarcerated people who were all asymptomatic and awaiting the results of their COVID-19 tests. Those tests came back positive.

READ: CDC: From January to October, US had 299K more deaths than in previous years

Contact tracing was conducted, but health officials said the officer did not meet definition of a close contact since he didn’t spend 15 consecutive minutes with an infected person. The officer continued to work, but eventually developed symptoms and tested positive two weeks later.

A review of surveillance video showed the officer had nearly 24 brief encounters that lasted roughly a minute each for an estimate of 17 total minutes of cumulative exposure.

READ: What the CDC says about face masks -- a refresher

The report said the officer wore a microfiber cloth mask, gown and eye protection during all interactions. The prisoners wore microfiber cloth masks during most of the interactions that occurred outside a cell.

The CDC has redefined what is considered to be a close contact of a COVID-19 case to now include someone who has been within 6 feet of an infected individual for a total of at least 15 minutes a day.

READ: Continuous coronavirus coverage


About the Authors
Kimberly Gill headshot

You can watch Kimberly Gill weekdays anchoring Local 4 News at 5 p.m., 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. and streaming live at 10 p.m. on Local 4+. She's an award-winning journalist who finally called Detroit home in 2014. Kim has won Regional Emmy Awards, and was part of the team that won the National Edward R. Murrow Award for Best Newscast in 2022.

Kayla Clarke headshot

Kayla is a Web Producer for ClickOnDetroit. Before she joined the team in 2018 she worked at WILX in Lansing as a digital producer.

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