U.S. health officials Wednesday redefined what counts as close contact with someone who has COVID-19 to include briefer but repeated encounters. For months, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said close contact meant spending a solid 15 minutes within six feet or two metres of someone who tested positive for coronavirus. On Wednesday, the CDC changed that 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 as close contact. The CDC advises anyone who has been in close contact with a COVID-19 patient to quarantine for two weeks. WATCH | Why faster, better contact tracing is this doctor's priority:More aggression and timeliness needed in contact tracing, says expert 3:31 There is a lot of legwork involved in contact tracing that can slow it down, and the solution since the beginning should be to bring in more tracers in a concentrated manner, says respirologist Dr. Samir Gupta.

Source: CBC News October 21, 2020 21:33 UTC