Infectious Disease

CDC Creates Coronavirus Risk Exposure Categories

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has added new exposure risk categories to its evolving guidance for the assessment of individuals with suspected novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV).

“Much is unknown about how 2019-nCoV, a new coronavirus, spreads. Current knowledge is largely based on what is known about similar coronaviruses,” they wrote. “CDC created this interim guidance to provide US public health authorities and other partners with a framework for assessing and managing risk of potential exposures to 2019-nCoV and implementing public health actions based on a person’s risk level and clinical presentation.”
To help guide management of patients with suspected exposure, outlined exposure categories applying to both travel-associated and community settings.

High Risk

  • Individuals living in the same household (or providing care in a nonhealthcare setting) for a patient with confirmed 2019-nCoV who is not using recommended precautions for home care.
  • Individuals with travel history within the last 14 days to Hubei Province, China.


Medium Risk

  • An individual who has had close contact with a patient with laboratory-confirmed 2019-nCoV but not having exposures meeting the high-risk definition. On an aircraft, this would involve being seated within 6 feet of a traveler with confirmed infection (approximately 2 seats in either direction).
  • An individual living in the same household or providing care within a household to a patient with confirmed infection while consistently using recommended precautions.
  • An individual who has traveled from Mainland China outside of Hubei Province and who does not have exposures meeting high-risk definitions.


Low Risk

  • An individual who is within the same indoor environment as a symptomatic patient with laboratory-confirmed infection for a prolonged period.
  • A person seated within 2 rows on an aircraft of a traveler with symptomatic laboratory-confirmed infection but not within 6 feet.

 

They also provide a table detailing their recommendations for the management of suspected symptomatic or asymptomatic cases based upon the associated risk category, with immediate isolation and medical evaluation recommended for symptomatic high- and medium-risk cases and daily active monitoring (or self-monitoring with public health supervision) recommended for high- and medium-risk asymptomatic cases.

—Michael Potts

Reference:
Interim US Guidance for risk assessment and public health management of persons with potential 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) exposure in travel-associated or community settings [published online February 3, 2020). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/php/risk-assessment.html. Accessed February 5, 2020.