Information for people who have had close

contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19

1 April 2020
This information is being provided to you because you have been identified as having had close
contact with someone who has been confirmed as having COVID-19 (novel coronavirus).
There is a possibility that the illness could have been passed on to you.
This fact sheet explains what you can expect from the public health unit and provides some basic information
on COVID-19 and precautions you can take to keep yourself and your loved ones safe. The public health unit
will keep in touch with you and provide you with regular updates.
It is important to note that most people who have had close contact with someone confirmed as having the
novel coronavirus have not been infected or become ill.

About close contact

A ‘close contact’ is defined as any person with the following exposure to a suspect, confirmed or probable
case during the case’s infectious period without appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE):
• direct contact with the body fluids or the laboratory specimens of a case
• presence in the same room in a health care setting when an aerosol-generating procedure is
undertaken on a case
• living in the same household or household-like setting (eg, shared section of a hostel) with a case
• face-to-face contact in any setting within 2 metres of a case for 15 minutes or more
• having been in a closed environment (eg, a classroom, hospital waiting room or conveyance other
than aircraft) within 2 metres of a case for 15 minutes or more
• having been seated on an aircraft within 2 metres of a case (for economy class this would mean 2
seats in any direction including seats across the aisle, other classes would require further assessment)
• aircraft crew exposed to a case (a risk assessment conducted by the airline is required to identify
which crew should be managed as close contacts).

About COVID-19 (novel coronavirus)

COVID-19 is caused by a virus (more specifically, a coronavirus) that affects the respiratory system (lungs and
breathing tubes).
Health officials first reported the disease in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, on 31 December 2019. It has
since been reported in other provinces and in many other countries. The latest information on this is available
on the World Health Organization website: who.int

How serious is it?

We think there are many people with mild or moderate symptoms, but some people can become seriously ill
and require treatment in hospital. Most of the people who have died after contracting COVID-19 had pre-
existing health conditions.
Those most at risk of becoming seriously unwell are those with weakened immune systems, older people and
those with pre-existing health conditions such as diabetes, cancer and chronic lung disease.
Medical care can treat most of the symptoms, but there is no vaccine or specific treatment for COVID-19
available as it is a new virus. Researchers are in the early stages of developing one.

How it spreads
Understanding of the virus and the disease it causes continues to evolve.
COVID-19 can be spread through person-to-person contact. The virus is thought to spread through touching
infected surfaces and from an infected person’s respiratory secretions, such as through coughing. However,
the precise ways the virus spreads are not currently well understood.
Infected people have spread COVID-19 to others in health care settings, such as hospitals, when appropriate
infection prevention and control measures have not been applied. Most people who have had close contact
with someone confirmed as having COVID-19 have not been infected or become ill.

Symptoms
Most people confirmed to have COVID-19 display the symptoms of pneumonia:
• fever (at least 38oC)
• cough
• shortness of breath
• sore throat.
However, infections with mild symptoms (such as cold-like symptoms) or no symptoms at all are likely,
though to what extent they occur is not yet known.

What you should do

As you have been identified as having contact with a person suspected of having COVID-19, it is important
that you are monitored, so that any early symptoms can be detected.
You will need to self-isolate for 14 days and avoid social gatherings and events where people come into
contact with you, in particular, child care/pre-school centres, primary and secondary schools (including staff
and students), aged care, health care facilities, prisons, public gatherings. See the information on self-
isolation.

Preventing the spread

There are simple, everyday measures you can take to help protect yourself and others from respiratory
illnesses.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds and dry them thoroughly or use
an alcohol-based hand sanitiser.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, then put the tissue in a lined
bin.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid personal contact, such as kissing, or sharing cups or eating utensils, with sick people.
Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces and objects, such as doorknobs.
More information
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your local public health unit or call the dedicated
Healthline coronavirus free-phone 0800 358 5453.
You can find out more about COVID-19 on the Ministry of Health website: health.govt.nz/covid-19