October 22, 2020

COVID-19 in a Correctional Facility Employee Following Multiple Brief Exposures to Persons with COVID-19 — Vermont, July–August 2020

Category: Article Summary

Topic: Transmission

Keywords (Tags): jail, prisons, transmission

• A correctional facility officer in Vermont contracted SARS-CoV-2 after multiple brief encounters with 6 SARS-CoV-2 positive incarcerated or detained persons (IDPs) for a cumulative duration of 17 minutes. However, he did not meet the operational definition of a “close contact” in contact tracing investigations, which is being within 6 feet of infectious persons for 15 minutes or more. The officer wore a microfiber cloth mask, gown, and eye protection during all interactions with IDPs, while the IDPs only wore PPE during some interactions.

Pringle et al. (Oct 21, 2020). COVID-19 in a Correctional Facility Employee Following Multiple Brief Exposures to Persons with COVID-19 — Vermont, July–August 2020. MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6943e1