COVID-19 Transmission Dynamics Among Close Contacts of Index Patients With COVID-19
A Population-Based Cohort Study in Zhejiang Province, China
Key Points
Question Is there an association between the timing of exposure to and severity of COVID-19 disease in close contacts of index patients with COVID-19?
Findings In this cohort study of 730 index patients with a COVID-19 diagnosis and 8852 close contacts, transmission potential was greatest in the first 2 days before and 3 days after onset of symptoms in the index patient. When contacts received a diagnosis of COVID-19 infection, they were more likely to present asymptomatically if they had been exposed to an asymptomatic patient.
Meaning These results suggest that the quantity of exposure to a patient with COVID-19 may be associated with clinical presentation among close contacts who develop COVID-19.
