tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Emerg Infect Dis
. 2021 Oct 26;27(12).
doi: 10.3201/eid2712.210505. Online ahead of print.
Coronavirus Disease Contact Tracing Outcomes and Cost, Salt Lake County, Utah, USA, March-May 2020
Victoria L Fields, Ian T Kracalik, Christina Carthel, Adriana Lopez, Amy Schwartz, Nathaniel M Lewis, Mackenzie Bray, Carlene Claflin, Kilee Jorgensen, Ha Khong, Walter Richards, Ilene Risk, Maureen Smithee, Madison Clawson, Lee Cherie Booth, Tara Scribellito, Jason Lowry, Jessica Huynh, Linda Davis, Holly Birch, Tiffany Tran, Joseph Walker, Alicia Fry, Aron Hall, Jodee Baker, Eric Pevzner, Angela C Dunn, Jacqueline E Tate, Hannah L Kirking, Tair Kiphibane, Cuc H Tran
Abstract
Outcomes and costs of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) contact tracing are limited. During March-May 2020, we constructed transmission chains from 184 index cases and 1,499 contacts in Salt Lake County, Utah, USA, to assess outcomes and estimate staff time and salaries. We estimated 1,102 staff hours and $29,234 spent investigating index cases and contacts. Among contacts, 374 (25%) had COVID-19; secondary case detection rate was ≈31% among first-generation contacts, ≈16% among second- and third-generation contacts, and 12% among fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-generation contacts. At initial interview, 51% (187) of contacts were COVID-19-positive; 35% (98/277) became positive during 14-day quarantine. Median time from symptom onset to investigation was 7 days for index cases and 4 days for first-generation contacts. Contact tracing reduced the number of cases between contact generations and time between symptom onset and investigation but required substantial resources. Our findings can help jurisdictions allocate resources for contact tracing.
Keywords: COVID-19; SARS; SARS-CoV-2; contact tracing; coronavirus; coronavirus disease; respiratory infections; severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; viruses; zoonoses.
. 2021 Oct 26;27(12).
doi: 10.3201/eid2712.210505. Online ahead of print.
Coronavirus Disease Contact Tracing Outcomes and Cost, Salt Lake County, Utah, USA, March-May 2020
Victoria L Fields, Ian T Kracalik, Christina Carthel, Adriana Lopez, Amy Schwartz, Nathaniel M Lewis, Mackenzie Bray, Carlene Claflin, Kilee Jorgensen, Ha Khong, Walter Richards, Ilene Risk, Maureen Smithee, Madison Clawson, Lee Cherie Booth, Tara Scribellito, Jason Lowry, Jessica Huynh, Linda Davis, Holly Birch, Tiffany Tran, Joseph Walker, Alicia Fry, Aron Hall, Jodee Baker, Eric Pevzner, Angela C Dunn, Jacqueline E Tate, Hannah L Kirking, Tair Kiphibane, Cuc H Tran
- PMID: 34698628
- DOI: 10.3201/eid2712.210505
Abstract
Outcomes and costs of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) contact tracing are limited. During March-May 2020, we constructed transmission chains from 184 index cases and 1,499 contacts in Salt Lake County, Utah, USA, to assess outcomes and estimate staff time and salaries. We estimated 1,102 staff hours and $29,234 spent investigating index cases and contacts. Among contacts, 374 (25%) had COVID-19; secondary case detection rate was ≈31% among first-generation contacts, ≈16% among second- and third-generation contacts, and 12% among fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-generation contacts. At initial interview, 51% (187) of contacts were COVID-19-positive; 35% (98/277) became positive during 14-day quarantine. Median time from symptom onset to investigation was 7 days for index cases and 4 days for first-generation contacts. Contact tracing reduced the number of cases between contact generations and time between symptom onset and investigation but required substantial resources. Our findings can help jurisdictions allocate resources for contact tracing.
Keywords: COVID-19; SARS; SARS-CoV-2; contact tracing; coronavirus; coronavirus disease; respiratory infections; severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; viruses; zoonoses.