Contact tracing is a process that has been widely used in public health to prevent the spread of communicable disease. It involves interviewing a person who has tested positive for the disease (the “index patient”) to create a list of others who may have been exposed. For COVID-19, this means people with whom the index patient was in close contact (within 6 feet) for more than 15 minutes, starting from 48 hours before illness onset. Once the list of contacts is established, contact tracers reach out to warn contacts of their exposure, link them to testing, and provide guidance on isolation. Contact tracers interview contacts to determine if they will need supportive services during their isolation and link them to resources such as healthcare, housing, or employment. Lastly, contacts are monitored for symptoms until 14 days from the last date of exposure.
To learn more on how to apply to become a contact tracer, start here.