You're reading: NPR: What’s the deal with the coronavirus ’15 minute rule’?

NPR: What’s the deal with the coronavirus ’15 minute rule’?

By NPR.

Published Oct. 10, 2020 at 6:28 am

A woman enters a tram on Sept. 13, 2020 next to the Akademmistechko metro station in Kyiv. Masks are obligatory in public transport in Kyiv.

Photo by Kostyantyn Chernichkin

How long do you need to be exposed to someone with COVID-19 before you are at risk for being infected? The question was brought to the forefront this week after the White House announced it would only perform contact tracing for people who had spent more than 15 minutes within 6 feet of President Trump, who tested positive for the coronavirus on Oct. 1.