Contact tracing in COVID-19: Justifying the need and strengthening the process

Abstract

The Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues to rise in terms of its geographical distribution, the number of people infected and the number of people losing their lives due to the resulting complications. Contact tracing is an effective strategy to identify, assess and manage people with a positive history of exposure to a confirmed case, so that we succeed in interrupting the transmission chain and further transmission of infection. It is essential to follow-up the contacts for a period of 2 weeks from the last date of exposure, but the successful implementation of this strategy will depend upon the support of the general population, planning of the entire process after considering the local contexts, trained and adequate number of workforce, logistics, and a supportive mechanism to collect, compile and analyze the data in real-time. In conclusion, the component of contact tracing is a crucial link in interrupting the chain of transmission of the COVID-19. It is the responsibility of the public health authorities and members of the community to work in close collaboration to identify the contacts at the earliest and quarantine them with an aim to prevent onward transmission.