The virus at home

After one person in a household is infected with coronavirus, it’s "common" for others to become ill -- and it occurs quickly after the first person shows symptoms, according to a new CDC study.

The researchers followed 101 people initially infected with Covid-19 between April and September, along with 191 others who lived in their households. People were trained to self-collect specimens for testing each day for 14 days, and each person completed a symptom diary.

Infection was quick. More than half of the people -- 53% -- who lived with someone battling Covid-19 became infected within a week, the researchers found. Some 75% of these secondary infections occurred within five days of the first symptoms in the initial patient.

 

"Substantial transmission occurred whether the index patient was an adult or a child," the researchers said.

 

What does this mean? The person exposed or suspected of having Covid-19 should be isolated before getting tested and before test results come back. And all members of the household should wear masks at all times in common spaces.