Case and contact definitions are based on the currently available information and are regularly revised as new information accumulates. Countries may need to adapt case definitions depending on their local epidemiological situation and other factors. All countries are encouraged to publish definitions used online and in regular situation reports and to document periodic updates to definitions that may affect the interpretation of surveillance data.
1. Acute onset of fever AND cough (influenza-like illness)
OR
2. Acute onset of ANY THREE OR MORE of the following signs or symptoms: fever, cough, general, weakness/fatigue, headache, myalgia, sore throat, coryza, dyspnoea, nausea, diarrhea, anorexia.
1. Contact of a probable or confirmed case or linked to a COVID-19 cluster.
Acute respiratory infection with history of fever or measured fever of ≥ 38 C°; and cough; with onset within the last 10 days; and who requires hospitalization).
With no clinical signs or symptoms, NOR meeting epidemiologic criteria
With a positive professional use or self-test SARS-CoV-2 antigen-RDT
A patient who meets clinical criteria above AND is a contact of a probable or confirmed case or is linked to a COVID-19 cluster.
Death, not otherwise explained, in an adult with respiratory distress preceding death AND who was a contact of a probable or confirmed case or linked to a COVID-19 cluster.
A person with a positive nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT), regardless of clinical criteria OR epidemiological criteria
Meeting clinical criteria AND/OR epidemiological criteria (See suspect case A).
With a positive professional use or self-test SARS-CoV-2 Antigen-RDT.
The following definition of contact has been updated on 6 July 2022.
A SARS-CoV-2 contact is a person who has had any one of the following exposures to a probable or a confirmed case of SARS-CoV-2 infection:
Face-to-face contact with a probable or confirmed case within a meter and for at least 15 minutes, or
Direct physical contact with a probable or confirmed case, or
Direct care for a patient with probable or confirmed COVID-19 disease without the use of recommended personal protective equipment (PPE) or,
Other situations as determined by local health authorities based on local risk assessments.
Exposure must have occurred during the infectious period of the case, which is defined as follows:
Exposure to a symptomatic case: 2 days before and 10 days after symptom onset of the case, plus 3 days without symptoms or 3 days with improving symptoms, for a minimum period of 13 days after symptoms onset.
Exposure to an asymptomatic case: 2 days before and 10 days after the date on which the sample that led to confirmation was taken.
A COVID-19 death is defined for surveillance purposes as a death resulting from a clinically compatible illness in a probable or confirmed COVID-19 case unless there is a clear alternative cause of death that cannot be related to COVID-19 disease (e.g. trauma). There should be no period of complete recovery between illness and death.
