Are attendees of the Kamala Harris Charlotte event at risk for COVID? What experts say
President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 infection loomed over Vice President Kamala Harris’s visit to Charlotte on Thursday.
The news of Biden’s diagnosis came as Harris was en route to Charlotte to visit the Carole Hoefener Center, raising questions about whether she would make her scheduled appearances. The White House announced that Harris tested negative for COVID on Thursday and would be carrying out her schedule while being vigilant about wearing a mask.
Harris was with Biden — who officials say is experiencing mild symptoms — two days before he tested positive.
Here’s what to know about Harris’s COVID risk and what precautions, if any, attendees of her Charlotte events need to take:
Was Harris a ‘close contact’ of Biden?
Harris last saw Biden in person Tuesday, White House officials have said.
She was photographed alongside her husband, Biden and first lady Jill Biden as the group hosted Ukraine’s first lady, Olena Zelenska, at the White House. Harris was also scheduled to receive a briefing in the Oval Office with Biden on Tuesday, The New York Times reported.
The vice president is being considered a “close contact,” a White House official told The Hill.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines a “close contact” as someone who was “less than 6 feet away from someone with confirmed or suspected COVID-19” and had “been in the presence of someone with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period.”
Could Harris have been contagious in Charlotte?
Harris is vaccinated against COVID-19 and has had the virus before. Under CDC guidelines, she does not need to quarantine but “should get tested at least 5 days after close contact, watch for symptoms and wear a well-fitting mask while around other people for 10 days from the date of last close contact.”
Although immunity from vaccines and previous infections can wane over time, experts say she is still relatively well-protected against the virus.
Being vaccinated and masking also reduces the risk of spreading the virus, the CDC adds. Harris was wearing a mask throughout her visit in Charlotte.
Do attendees of Harris’s Charlotte event need to take COVID precautions?
Harris does not as of Friday have a confirmed or suspected case of COVID-19, so those who were around her in Charlotte are not currently considered “close contacts.”
If Harris were to develop symptoms and test positive within two days of Thursday’s visit, those who were within 6 feet of her for 15 minutes or more would be considered “close contacts” under CDC guidelines.
Those who were vaccinated or had COVID within the last 90 days would need to follow the same protocols Harris currently is: testing, masking and watching for symptoms.
Anyone who was unvaccinated would need to quarantine for “at least 5 days from the date of last close contact” and “wear a well-fitting mask when around others for 10 days from the date of the last close contact with someone with COVID-19,” the CDC advises.
Anyone experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 should get tested for the virus, stay home unless getting medical care, and keep track of their symptoms, the CDC recommends.
