CDC updates guidance for healthcare personnel possibly exposed to the coronavirus

Editor's Note

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on February 8 updated its guidance for risk assessment and management of healthcare personnel possibly exposed in a healthcare setting to patients with the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV).

The first confirmed transmission from person-to-person in the US was reported January 30, 2020. Reports suggest that transmission most likely happens during close exposure to a person with the coronavirus and spread via respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs.

The guidance is based on the currently limited information available, and based on these uncertainties, recommendations on which healthcare personnel are restricted from work may not prevent all transmissions. The guidance will change if indicated by new information.