COVID-19 Patients May Be Most Contagious Soon After Infection

In a study of 100 index cases, no secondary transmission was observed among close contacts whose exposure started 6 days or more after cases developed symptoms.

Prior reports have described transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from asymptomatic or presymptomatic individuals (NEJM JW Infect Dis Mar 2020 and N Engl J Med 2020; 382:970). Now, to determine how soon after SARS-CoV-2 infection the risk for transmission declines, investigators studied 100 COVID-19 index patients in Taiwan and 2761 of their close contacts.

Close contacts were defined as persons having 15 minutes of face-to-face contact with a case (in nonhealthcare settings) or persons having exposure within 2 meters of a case without appropriate personal protection equipment (in healthcare settings). Among close contacts, 5% were household members, 3% were nonhousehold family members, 25% were healthcare providers, and 67% were other contacts.

A tota…

Reviewing Author

Daniel Kaul, MD

Disclosures

Grant/Research SupportNobelpharma; Pfizer

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesAmerican Society of Transplantation (Program Committee)

Daniel Kaul, MD

Disclosures

Grant/Research SupportNobelpharma; Pfizer

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesAmerican Society of Transplantation (Program Committee)

COVID-19 Patients May Be Most Contagious Soon After Infection

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Reviewing Author