Table 1.

Category of risk description

Category of risk	Description	Public Health England recommended actions
Category 0	Individuals who have not visited an EVD affected area and have had no contact with EVD or an EVD infected individual.	Reassure and provide written and verbal information. Continue normal activities.
Category 1	Individuals who have visited an EVD affected area but had no direct contact with an EVD infected individual or been exposed to any other high-risk event. This category also included those working in laboratories assured to be operating to a UK standard.	Reassure and provide written and verbal information. Advise to take temperature if feeling unwell and phone 111 if ≥37.5°C. Continue normal activities.
Category 2 (low-risk exposure)	Individuals having direct (close) contact with an infected person or their body fluids but who did not have direct physical contact during clinical care and had no known breaches of protective equipment/clothing during this contact.	Reassure and provide written and verbal information. For 21 days following last exposure: Self-monitor and record temperature and symptoms twice daily and report if feeling unwell and/or temperature≥37.5°C. Travel – no restrictions. Normal activities except: Postpone non-essential medical or dental treatment (including vaccination), and inform healthcare provider of contact if any essential treatment needed. If reluctant to comply with recommendations, consider actions on a case-by-case basis.
Category 3 (high-risk exposure)	High-risk individuals who had direct contact with symptomatic infected individuals and potential exposure to bodily fluids including breaches to protective equipment/clothing or had worked in a laboratory not assured to be working to UK standard.	Reassure and provide written and verbal information. For 21 days following last exposure: Self-monitor and record temperature and symptoms twice per day and report to designated person by noon daily. If there is inability to take temperature a face-to-face arrangement will be made with relevant health services. Continue normal activities (while no symptoms) except: Local travel only. If a healthcare worker, no patient contact for 21 days. Postpone non-essential medical or dental treatment (including vaccination) and inform healthcare provider of contact if any essential treatment needed. Do not share toothbrushes or razors. Use barrier contraception or avoid unprotected sex for 21 days. If reluctant to comply with recommendations, consider actions on a case-by-case basis.

Adapted from public health guidance ‘Ebola: public health recommendations for asymptomatic contacts’ https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ebola-public-health-recommendations-for-asymptomatic-contacts.

EVD, Ebola virus disease.