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Definitions
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Here are the definitions of suspected, probable and confirmed cases of COVID-19, of close contacts and of protected and fully vaccinated.
Here are the definitions of suspected, probable and confirmed cases of COVID-19, of close contacts and of protected and fully vaccinated.
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Suspected COVID-19
A person who meets the clinical criteria: acute respiratory tract infection and one or more of the following symptoms; fever, cough, shortness of breath, loss of sense of smell/taste, or who is considered by a doctor to have suspected COVID-19.
Probable COVID-19
A person who develops symptom consistent with "suspected COVID-19" (see above).
A probable case should be isolated in the same way as a confirmed case. Household members should be in quarantine until a test result becomes available.
Confirmed COVID-19
A person with coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) confirmed by RT-PCR test or rapid antigen test (rapid immunoassay). See requirements for rapid antigen tests.
- Hurtigtest for påvisning av koronavirus - rapid antigen test for SARS-CoV-2 (in Norwegian)
Close contacts
You are considered to be a "close contact" if
- you have been in contact with a person with confirmed COVID-19 disease less than 48 hours before onset of their first symptoms. If the person who is confirmed to have COVID-19 does not develop symptoms, contact tracing is done from the time of testing.
AND - the contact has been
- less than two metres away for more than 15 minutes OR
- in direct physical contact OR
- in direct contact with secretions.
This does not apply when recommended personal protective equipment is used in the healthcare service.
Fully vaccinated and protected people (see below) have exemptions/ easing of quarantine duty, read more here:
If there is doubt about who should be considered a close contact, the contact tracer should make a risk assessment.
The most exposed close contacts are "household members and equivalent close contacts". This usually means those who:
- Live in the same household.
- Have had similar close physical contact as in a household (for example, boyfriend/girlfriend, colleagues who sit near each other in an open plan office).
- Have cared for a person with confirmed COVID-19 disease or had similar close physical contact, without having used recommended protective equipment.
Fully vaccinated:
- Those who have received a second dose of vaccine. Status as fully vaccinated applies from 1 week after the second vaccine dose.
- Those who have had the disease and at least 3 weeks later have received a dose of vaccine. Status as fully vaccinated applies from 1 week after the vaccine dose.
- Those who have received the first dose of vaccine and then, at least 3 weeks later, have been diagnosed with COVID-19 infection. Status as fully vaccinated applies from the time you are out of isolation.
Status as protected:
- Those who are fully vaccinated (see above).
- Those who have received the 1st vaccine dose. Status as protected applies from 3 to 15 weeks after the vaccine dose. This means that the second dose must be given no later than 14 weeks after the first dose in order to maintain a protected status until you are considered fully vaccinated.
- Those who have had the disease. Status as protected is valid for 6 months after a positive test.
The definitions related to vaccines apply to those who have been given a vaccine approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). All vaccines given in Norway are approved by the EMA.
Read more here:
Risk group refers to:
- People aged 65 years or older
- People from 18 years of age with certain defined diseases / conditions that increase the risk of severe disease course and death from COVID-19 (medical risk groups).
Read more here: