Flipping the Script for Coronavirus Disease 2019 Contact Tracing
John Alexis Schneider, Harold A. Pollack · JAMA Health Forum · 2020
In recent months, US public health authorities have rapidly established or expanded contact tracing to contain the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, 1 hoping that index patients could be identified, treated, and physically isolated to prevent further infections.2 Those connected to these index patients could be similarly identified through tried and true strategies used to contain local outbreaks, through readily traced contact networks.3 Some nations, such as South Korea and New Zealand, have broadly succeeded in these efforts.4 In the US, such aspirations have not been achieved.The virus has spread too rapidly and efficiently.The distrust of government among US residents has proved too deep.COVID-19 disproportionately affects populations such as immigrants without legal status, workers with low wages, and those in the criminal justice system.Political polarization, 5 testing delays, 6 and limited organizational infrastructure and capacity have further hindered contact-tracing efforts.