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How long does it take to get the coronavirus if you are close to someone who is infected? Unfortunately, there is no magic number of minutes.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently reviewed how it defines close contact, people who contact tracers track down and recommend quarantining and testing.
Previously, close contact was anyone who spent at least 15 minutes within six feet (180 centimeters) of a person confirmed to have COVID-19. Now, those 15 minutes don’t have to be consecutive. Instead, close contact is anyone who is within six feet of an infected person for a minimum of 15 minutes within a 24-hour period.
Why have the rules changed?
The guidelines follow the release of a study that showed a correctional officer in Vermont tested positive for COVID-19 after multiple, brief interactions with six inmates who had no symptoms. In an eight-hour shift, the employee had 22 meetings with inmates for a total of 17 minutes.
So, are you safe if you’ve spent less than 15 minutes, in total, with someone who’s been infected?
Not necessarily. Fifteen minutes is just a guide.
“You want to give some sort of general guideline that is easy to remember, but it’s actually a continuum,” said Neal Goldstein, assistant research professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at Drexel University.
“You may be at low risk for a long period of time or you may be at high risk for a short period of time. There are so many variables that affect the dose (of the virus) someone receives, and that’s really what matters. more, “he said.
In addition to the exposure time, other factors at play include whether the infected person had symptoms, had no symptoms or developed symptoms later, whether you were indoors or outdoors, what kind of ventilation was there, how many more people were there and what kind of business you were doing.
For example, if you were singing together in a friend’s basement instead of sitting together in the park, your risk level increases and you could be infected in less time.
“There are so many different levels, so it’s hard to describe the percentage of risk you run, but you want to avoid multiple levels,” Goldstein said.
What if I wear a mask?
The CDC’s guidelines for contact tracing did not change if you were wearing a mask. You are considered close contact even if both you and the infected person are wearing one. But masks are still important to avoid getting sick.
“Masks make a big difference. I would never say, ‘Oh, I’m going to go out with this person without masks, and it’s okay for 14 minutes but not 15 minutes,'” said Henry Raymond, associate professor and epidemiologist at Rutgers University.
“These are guidelines to help facilitate contact traceability in a meaningful way, but they shouldn’t be applied as guidelines on how to protect yourself,” he said.
The CDC says it doesn’t take masks into account for contact tracking because the general public has not been formally trained to choose a mask and wear it correctly. And wearing the mask incorrectly increases the risk of spreading and contracting the coronavirus, as does the longer exposure time and proximity to someone who is infected.
While 15 minutes isn’t an absolute guarantee we’ll be safe, neither are six feet, but both help contact tracers narrow down who makes sense to quarantine and undergo testing after an exposure.
“You don’t want contact tracking to go back to the time you checked with a cashier or met someone on the street,” Goldstein said.
“There is never a zero risk situation, but it would be an unreasonable burden and a huge waste of resources,” he said.
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