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Key Points
October 23, 2020
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In Today’s Recommendation for Industry, we revisit and clarify the CDC’s revised definition of “close contact.” Read more here.
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A note to those looking for this week’s COVID-19 Matrix Update: Because the scientific data on which TAG’s matrices are based were delayed, we were unable to provide the weekly update. Keep an eye out for next Wednesday’s newsletter for the next regular update.
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How can assurance testing of asymptomatic workers verify your COVID-19 Protection? Join our upcoming webinar with Dr. Ben Miller next Wednesday October 28, 2020.
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Global cases of COVID-19 have exceeded 41 million.
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A recent Nature article discusses the positives and negatives of using pooled testing, including optimal group size and sampling frequency.
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A recent study in Scientific American discusses “What We Know So Far about how COVID affects the Nervous System.”
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Another recent cross-sectional study explores the “Variation in racial/ethnic disparities in COVID-19 mortality by age in the United States,” finding that “U.S. populations of color die of COVID-19 at younger ages as well as at higher rates than the non-Hispanic White population”; thus, “Enhancing protection from infection, including assurance of workplace protections, may be relevant to prevention of COVID-19 in working-age adults.”
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The previous study coincides with recent CDC findings that 83.2% of all confirmed COVID-19 cases in the food and agriculture sector involved minorities or people of color, even though they make up only 47.4% of all workers in the U.S. This speaks to the importance of having responsive communications and workplace protections that are culturally relevant and understandable.
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Finally, a study of a 33-year-old man from Hong Kong who had asymptomatic reinfection suggests that “persons without a robust neutralizing antibody response might be at risk for reinfection.” However, this is only one study and looks at only one person.
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The New York Times reports that the worst coronavirus outbreaks are now in the rural U.S.
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In Case You Missed It:
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On Wednesday, we reviewed a recent CDC study on the survival of SARS-CoV-2 and the influenza virus on human skin accentuating the need for hand hygiene. Read more here.
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On Monday, we address the increasing media coverage of SARS-CoV-2 being found on meat products imported by other countries. Has the science changed?
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OSHA is offering no-cost, confidential occupational safety and health services to small and medium-sized U.S. businesses. Consultants from state agencies or universities help identify workplace hazards, provide advice on OSHA compliance, and assist in establishing and improving safety and health programs. Find out more here.
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“8 Things To Know About Vaccine Planning” from CDC discusses the current status of COVID-19 vaccine plans. Safety is a top priority, and the federal government is “committed to providing free or low-cost COVID-19 vaccines.” Although some may be ready before others, CDC is working with “partners at all levels of the government to plan for different vaccines and scenarios.” You can expect an initial limited supply which gradually increases. Read more about CDC’s commitment here.
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In the United Kingdom, vaccines are being tested on humans as part of the “human challenge” trials by infecting volunteers with the pathogen to understand efficacy of the developed vaccines. Read more about these upcoming human trials here.
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Are there any topics or questions that we have not covered yet or did not expand on, previously, regarding COVID-19? Do you have any questions that we haven’t answered yet about COVID-19 and its impact on your business? If so, leave us a message and let us know.
Recommendations for Industry
Close Contacts Are Redefined – But Shades of Gray Remain
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In updated guidance on COVID-19, CDC has changed its definition of close contacts to include those “ within 6 feet of an infected person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period” starting 2 days before illness onset or, if asymptomatic, a test that results in a positive.” This means that all the individual exposures within a 24-hour period should be “added together” (e.g., three 5-minute exposures for a total of 15 minutes). This updated guidance is based, in part, on a recent CDC-study looking at transmission to a prison guard in a Vermont correctional facility.
The operative word here is “cumulative,” (e.g., a worker had three 5-minute exposures for a total of 15 minutes). But it also must be remembered that this is not based on a clear, exact science of time and distance – there is no bubble around 6 feet or 15 minutes. A person could be infected in 10 seconds when 2 feet away if an infected person coughs on or shouts at them or a fan is blowing air toward them; 10 minutes could be plenty of time for an infection to spread regardless of distance; two hours at 7 feet does make one “safe”; and there can be significant differential if an infected person is facing toward or away from others. That said, one needn’t start adding up “2-second exposures” – there must be a balance.
Unfortunately, it is just not a black and white situation – there are manyshades of gray. Particularly when one reads the last lines of CDC’s Close Contact definition: “Because the general public has not received training on proper selection and use of respiratory PPE, such as an N95, the determination of close contact should generally be made irrespective of whether the contact was wearing respiratory PPE.”
The challenge is that there are not exact limits that are protective; it is a curve of risk that has many variables. CDC is trying to create a guidance that will reduce risk but not make risk go away.
TAG has been saying all along to look at exposure in a cumulative way, because the greater the exposure (time and distance) the more likely it is that COVID-19 will be transmitted. It is a complex equation that is trying to be definitive, and it’s just not possible. But, if you were to take one thing away from all this, it would be that the closer and longer one is to an infected person the higher the risk – with or without masks. (But remember all the shades of gray!)
Outbreak Updates
As of October 23, 2020 (13:52 ET), there are over > 41,982,000 cases (>1,140,000 deaths) worldwide.
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Due to the increasing number of cases in the United States, TAG will move from reporting counts per country to focus on the United States, please see here for the data. For further information regarding worldwide numbers, please refer to John Hopkin University’s aggregate map.
Keep up to date with COVID-19:
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