Clinical Criteria for COVID-19 Patient
Background: This document will serve as a tool to be used in the management and evaluation of patients under investigation (PUI) or patients who have been confirmed with the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) disease. This is a dynamic clinical document that is liable to change in response to constant learning about the disease process. The document is supported by best practice guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
CDC clinical criteria for patients under investigation for COVID-19
| Clinical Features | Epidemiologic Risk | |
| Fever or signs/symptoms of lower respiratory illness (e.g., cough or shortness of breath) | PLUS | Any person, including a health care worker, who has had close contact with a laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 patient within 14 days of symptom onset |
| Fever and signs/symptoms of lower respiratory illness (e.g., cough or shortness of breath) requiring hospitalization | PLUS | A history of travel from affected geographic areas within 14 days of symptom onset.
Areas with widespread or sustained community transmission:
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| Fever with severe acute lower respiratory illness (e.g., pneumonia, ARDS) requiring hospitalization and without an alternative explanatory diagnosis (e.g., influenza) | PLUS | No source of exposure has been identified |
The criteria are intended to serve as guidance for evaluation. In consultation with public health departments, patients should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis to determine the need for testing. Testing may be considered for deceased persons who would otherwise meet the PUI criteria.