Spam calls are hindering efforts to contact trace and track Covid-19
4 years, 5 months ago

Spam calls are hindering efforts to contact trace and track Covid-19

CNN  

CNN — Nine months into a pandemic that has killed 210,000 people in the United States, health officials are imploring residents to answer their phones. “If contact tracers do not hear back, a text message will be sent with a home visit time and date, and visits may be conducted without confirmation,” the health officials said. About 60% of contact tracing calls are being answered in the state’s northwest health district, said Logan Boss, a spokesman for the Georgia Department of Public Health. Contact tracing and testing are crucial to squelching coronavirus until there’s a widely distributed vaccine or therapeutic drug, said Steve Waters, founder of Contrace Public Health Corps, which provides guidance on Covid-19 contact tracing. “I know there’s a lot of fatigue right now with Covid measures but contact tracing is an important targeted way that the public can use to help protect people in their communities and the people closest to them.” In Columbus, health officials are running a multimedia contact tracing campaign to educate people about their efforts, Newman said.

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History of this topic

L.A. County has cut back on COVID-19 contact tracing as supercontagious BA.5 surges
2 years, 8 months ago

L.A. County has cut back on COVID-19 contact tracing as supercontagious BA.5 surges

LA Times  

After Julianne Cline went out and got tested for COVID-19 this June, text messages and voicemails soon piled up from Los Angeles County contact tracers who wanted to talk to her. Besides, she said, “I just didn’t feel comfortable sharing my personal experience with the county.” As the pandemic has dragged on, L.A. County contact tracers have struggled to reach …

West Australians’ highly sensitive personal data put at risk as COVID-19 contact tracing system lacks security
2 years, 10 months ago

West Australians’ highly sensitive personal data put at risk as COVID-19 contact tracing system lacks security

ABC  

WA's COVID-19 contact tracing system is plagued with significant privacy and security concerns, putting at risk highly sensitive personal and medical information collected from more than half a million people. Key points: Authorities failed to adequately protect sensitive contact tracing data The auditor-general says controls need to be strengthened WA health has defended its system but agreed to adopt changes …

Head of WA's COVID-19 contact tracing reveals massive effort to gear up for state's reopening
3 years, 2 months ago

Head of WA's COVID-19 contact tracing reveals massive effort to gear up for state's reopening

ABC  

Contact tracers are gearing up ahead of Western Australia's anticipated reopening date, as more and more locations around the state are listed as potential exposure sites. Key points: Head contact tracer Ben Scalley says public servants have been recruited from all across government to join the contact tracing efforts Teams are based throughout regional WA including in the South West, …

Public urged to work with contact tracing teams over Christmas period
3 years, 3 months ago

Public urged to work with contact tracing teams over Christmas period

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy People who test positive for Covid-19 over Christmas have been …

COVID contact tracing, Health Department 'shambles' for these Victorians amid reopening
3 years, 4 months ago

COVID contact tracing, Health Department 'shambles' for these Victorians amid reopening

ABC  

David Murray attended what he believed to be a COVID-safe country music event at the Hamilton Golf Club in western Victoria on November 14, an event that has since spawned a cluster of 31 cases as of Thursday. Key points: Victorians say they've received wrong or delayed health advice from the Health Department Contact tracing fails spark fears of an …

L.A. County contact tracers struggle to reach, interview people with COVID-19
3 years, 6 months ago

L.A. County contact tracers struggle to reach, interview people with COVID-19

LA Times  

Maureen Calderon, an L.A. County contact tracer, said sometimes people with COVID-19 are “so inundated with calls from friends or family that we couldn’t leave a message because the voicemail was full.” Los Angeles County has continued to struggle to reach people infected with the coronavirus as the pandemic drags on, with contract tracers interviewing only around 40% of the …

Coronavirus Australia: Changes to NSW contact tracing as Victoria's Covid outbreak grows
3 years, 6 months ago

Coronavirus Australia: Changes to NSW contact tracing as Victoria's Covid outbreak grows

Daily Mail  

New South Wales is preparing to dump most of its contact tracing system in favour of an app that will automatically alert residents when they've been exposed to Covid. NSW is preparing to dump most of its contact tracing system in favour of an app that will alert residents when they've been exposed to the coronavirus The drastic change is …

Contact tracing in the U.S. takes a back seat during latest COVID surge
3 years, 7 months ago

Contact tracing in the U.S. takes a back seat during latest COVID surge

LA Times  

Health investigators across the U.S. are finding it nearly impossible to keep up with the deluge of new COVID-19 infections and carry out contact tracing efforts that were once seen as a pillar of the nation’s pandemic response. Dr. Yvonne Maldonado, a professor of global health and infectious diseases at the Stanford University School of Medicine, said that while contact …

Contact tracing takes a back seat during latest COVID surge
3 years, 7 months ago

Contact tracing takes a back seat during latest COVID surge

Associated Press  

Health investigators across the U.S. are finding it nearly impossible to keep up with the deluge of new COVID-19 infections and carry out contact tracing efforts that were once seen as a pillar of the nation’s pandemic response. Dr. Yvonne Maldonado, a professor of global health and infectious diseases at the Stanford University School of Medicine, said that while contact …

Now Isn't the Time to Abandon Contact Tracing
3 years, 7 months ago

Now Isn't the Time to Abandon Contact Tracing

Wired  

The rise of the Delta variant is sparking all sorts of memories—the anxiety amid the first Covid wave in spring of 2020, the crushing winter surge, the unceasing debate about “nonpharmaceutical interventions” such as masking and distancing, the concerns about kids and schools. But it hasn’t seemed to bring back discussions of contact tracing, one of the first best hopes …

Source of Covid infection increasingly difficult to find: report
3 years, 7 months ago

Source of Covid infection increasingly difficult to find: report

NL Times  

Health service GGD is having a harder and harder time tracking down the source of coronavirus infections in the Netherlands. In June, when the Netherlands had about 21 thousand infections per week, the GGD was still able to identify a potential source in more than half the cases, according to the newspaper. Health Minister Hugo de Jonge previously called source …

Covid contact tracing to be scaled down, change in quarantine rule
3 years, 9 months ago

Covid contact tracing to be scaled down, change in quarantine rule

NL Times  

Based on advice from the Outbreak Management Team, the government will soon scale down coronavirus source and contact tracing. Last week, the OMT said that quarantine and source and contact tracing can be adjusted as more and more people are now vaccinated against Covid-19, the respiratory disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. The RIVM and health service GGD, who is …

I've been to a place on the contact tracing list. What should I do?
4 years ago

I've been to a place on the contact tracing list. What should I do?

ABC  

Queenslanders are keeping a close eye on the growing list of contact tracing venues linked to the Greater Brisbane coronavirus outbreak. The Queensland Government provides an updated list of close contact and casual contact venues on its website. A Queensland Health spokesperson said data from the Check In Qld app had been requested and used to contact those at risk. …

The full list of contact tracing sites in Brisbane, Moreton Bay and Gladstone linked to the Queensland coronavirus cluster
4 years ago

The full list of contact tracing sites in Brisbane, Moreton Bay and Gladstone linked to the Queensland coronavirus cluster

ABC  

Contact tracers are working through a long list of sites in Brisbane, Moreton Bay and Gladstone visited by confirmed COVID-19 cases between March 20 and March 27. Close contact sites Saturday, March 20 Shinobi Ramen Noodle shop, Westfield Carindale Shopping Centre between 12:00pm and 2:16pm Black Hops Brewery, East Brisbane between 12:00pm and 2:00pm Green Beacon Brewing Co., Teneriffe between …

Major contact tracing effort continues across Brisbane as immunologist warns unknown source of COVID infection is 'definitely a concern'
4 years ago

Major contact tracing effort continues across Brisbane as immunologist warns unknown source of COVID infection is 'definitely a concern'

ABC  

A major contact tracing effort will continue in south-east Queensland today as authorities work to determine if a new locally acquired case of COVID-19 in a Brisbane landscaper has spread further in the community. Queensland COVID-19 snapshot In latest reporting period: Deaths: 11 11 New cases: 5,698 Queensland's vaccine rollout: First dose: 93.2 per cent 93.2 per cent Second dose: …

California’s new contact-tracing app: What you need to know
4 years, 3 months ago

California’s new contact-tracing app: What you need to know

LA Times  

Gavin Newsom has announced a voluntary smartphone app to alert people if they were in close contact with someone who tested positive for the coronavirus. Called CA Notify, the app relies on a tech framework created by Apple and Google that uses Apple and Android phones’ short-range Bluetooth radios to determine when two devices have been near one another for …

For contact tracers, COVID-19 fight is personal: ‘I understand hardship’
4 years, 3 months ago

For contact tracers, COVID-19 fight is personal: ‘I understand hardship’

LA Times  

Sometimes when he calls, the person on the other end of the phone already knows. It’s people from my community.” Before data underscored how marginalized communities were disproportionately hit by the virus, which has killed at least 7,700 in Los Angeles County, Gardner knew. A contact tracer with the county Department of Public Health, he didn’t need to see the …

Virus surge places strain on Pennsylvania’s contact tracers
4 years, 4 months ago

Virus surge places strain on Pennsylvania’s contact tracers

Associated Press  

Pennsylvania’s contact tracing system is under strain as the explosion of new COVID-19 cases overtakes health workers’ ability to keep up, hampering efforts to slow the spread. Public health experts say it’s important to interview people who have tested positive for the virus as soon as possible so their “close contacts,” or the people they exposed, can be identified and …

Rising cases in Delhi worry Gautam Budh Nagar admin; testing to be scaled up
4 years, 4 months ago

Rising cases in Delhi worry Gautam Budh Nagar admin; testing to be scaled up

Hindustan Times  

NOIDA: Alarmed with the rising number of coronavirus disease cases in national capital Delhi, the administration of the Gautam Budh Nagar district has decided to increase surveillance activities and contact tracing of patients. HT Image District magistrate Suhas LY said that number of Covid cases in Delhi has always been directly proportional to the same in districts which share borders …

Coronavirus: Test and trace hampered because people don’t like answering unknown calls, NHS adviser suggests
4 years, 4 months ago

Coronavirus: Test and trace hampered because people don’t like answering unknown calls, NHS adviser suggests

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The nation’s test and trace system could be being hampered due …

Coronavirus: Test and trace workers report new problems with troubled service
4 years, 5 months ago

Coronavirus: Test and trace workers report new problems with troubled service

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. As the test and trace service battles a surge in daily positive test results, workers …

Contact tracing followed by quarantine will stop COVID-19 from spreading: WHO
4 years, 5 months ago

Contact tracing followed by quarantine will stop COVID-19 from spreading: WHO

Firstpost  

“I know there is a fatigue but the virus has shown that when we let our guard down, it can surge back at breakneck speed and threaten hospitals and health systems.” Contacts of people confirmed to have coronavirus should be properly quarantined, the World Health Organization said on Monday, as the pandemic surges in Europe and North America. “I know …

Coronavirus: WHO urges UK to move to local contact tracing system
4 years, 5 months ago

Coronavirus: WHO urges UK to move to local contact tracing system

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The World Health Organisation has joined the chorus of experts urging …

The five hallmarks of successful contact tracing during the coronavirus pandemic
4 years, 5 months ago

The five hallmarks of successful contact tracing during the coronavirus pandemic

ABC  

Contact tracing is the process of finding, assessing and managing the people who have been exposed to a disease, according to the World Health Organization. "One of our approaches in Australia is doing contact tracing in the first 24 hours of receiving a diagnosis, and I believe that Victoria is at 100 per cent at the moment," says Professor McLaws. …

Which countries are doing well with contact tracing for coronavirus? A look at South Korea, Singapore, China, New Zealand and Belgium
4 years, 5 months ago

Which countries are doing well with contact tracing for coronavirus? A look at South Korea, Singapore, China, New Zealand and Belgium

ABC  

Victoria's contact tracing system has been under scrutiny in recent weeks, while New South Wales has been held up as a gold standard. SARS experience helped South Korea's leap into action South Korea has just under 25,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases, about 2,000 fewer than Australia, with about double the national population. "Contact tracing has the manual part to it, but …

Coronavirus: Test and trace system ‘rendered ineffective’ by rate of infections, government scientific advisers believe
4 years, 5 months ago

Coronavirus: Test and trace system ‘rendered ineffective’ by rate of infections, government scientific advisers believe

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Surging coronavirus …

What should the U.S. learn from South Korea’s COVID-19 success?
4 years, 5 months ago

What should the U.S. learn from South Korea’s COVID-19 success?

Salon  

In February, as South Korea watched the numbers of a novel coronavirus surge, Seo Hyun-ho grew worried about the health of his wife and two young children. * * * While many Americans would balk at South Korea's big data surveillance system, a large majority of South Koreans support it. The raffle "seemed like a smart and smooth way to …

Victoria trials new coronavirus contact tracing model that doubles number of close contacts
4 years, 5 months ago

Victoria trials new coronavirus contact tracing model that doubles number of close contacts

ABC  

Victoria has begun the "evolution" of its contact tracing regime, casting the net wider and instructing more people with a connection to a positive case to get tested and self-isolate. Key points: The health department said more than 230 people were in isolation in Kilmore, including close contacts and their close contacts The health department said more than 230 people …

What do we know about superspreader events in the pandemic?
4 years, 5 months ago

What do we know about superspreader events in the pandemic?

Associated Press  

What do we know about superspreader events in the pandemic? We’re still learning, but it seems that much of the spread of the coronavirus has been caused by what disease trackers call superspreader events. Scientists studying three months of contact tracing data from Hong Kong estimated that 19% of people infected were responsible for 80% of the spread of coronavirus …

Coronavirus news you may have missed overnight: Only half of people with missing positive tests reached for contacts
4 years, 5 months ago

Coronavirus news you may have missed overnight: Only half of people with missing positive tests reached for contacts

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Only half of people with missing positive tests reached for contacts The chaos over the …

Coronavirus: Minister admits not knowing how many contacts have been missed after 15,000 positive cases underreported
4 years, 5 months ago

Coronavirus: Minister admits not knowing how many contacts have been missed after 15,000 positive cases underreported

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Jonathan Ashworth, the shadow health secretary, also demanded Matt Hancock address the Commons on Monday, …

What is contact tracing, and how does it work with COVID-19?
4 years, 5 months ago

What is contact tracing, and how does it work with COVID-19?

Associated Press  

What is contact tracing, and how does it work with COVID-19? The goal of contact tracing is to alert people who may have been exposed to someone with the coronavirus, and prevent them from spreading it to others. Health experts say contact tracing is key to containing the virus and allowing places to reopen more safely. After a person tests …

How Do You Contact Trace The President Of The United States?
4 years, 5 months ago

How Do You Contact Trace The President Of The United States?

NPR  

How Do You Contact Trace The President Of The United States? "Particularly since mask wearing may not have been going on, we would probably consider all of those people in those confined spaces — even if it's a big conference room — as being potential contacts," Lessler says. Perhaps the biggest challenge in contact tracing in this situation, Watson says, …

Contact Tracing Questions Arise After Trump Tests Positive For The Coronavirus
4 years, 5 months ago

Contact Tracing Questions Arise After Trump Tests Positive For The Coronavirus

NPR  

Contact Tracing Questions Arise After Trump Tests Positive For The Coronavirus The President has tested positive for the coronavirus. NPR speaks to Dr. Ashish Jha, the dean of the school of public health at Brown University, about the implications. JHA: But it's very distressing to see the president of the United States get infected from what is a disease that …

Coronavirus: Test and Trace failing to reach almost 30% of close contacts, latest data shows
4 years, 6 months ago

Coronavirus: Test and Trace failing to reach almost 30% of close contacts, latest data shows

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The government’s contact-tracing programme failed to reach almost 30 per cent …

Largest Contact Tracing Study in India Shows Covid-19 Transmitted Mainly by 'Superspreaders'
4 years, 6 months ago

Largest Contact Tracing Study in India Shows Covid-19 Transmitted Mainly by 'Superspreaders'

News 18  

The transmission of COVID-19 in India has been driven mainly by superspreaders or a small percentage of infected people, according to the largest contact tracing study in the country which also shows that children are key to the spread of the novel coronavirus. The researchers, including those from the Government of Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh, found that over 70 …

Largest study of COVID-19 transmission highlights essential role of super-spreaders
4 years, 6 months ago

Largest study of COVID-19 transmission highlights essential role of super-spreaders

LA Times  

In the bleak ranking of worst COVID-19 outbreaks, the United States, with 7.2 million infections, is likely to be eclipsed only by India, which has 1 million fewer cases but is catching up fast. Yet parts of India have led the world in one aspect of the pandemic response: contact tracing — the labor-intensive, time-sensitive, painstaking work of identifying people …

What is contact tracing, and how does it work with covid-19?
4 years, 6 months ago

What is contact tracing, and how does it work with covid-19?

Live Mint  

The goal of contact tracing is to alert people who may have been exposed to someone with the coronavirus, and prevent them from spreading it to others. Health experts say contact tracing is key to containing the virus and allowing places to reopen more safely. After a person tests positive for the virus, a contact tracer would get in touch …

Coronavirus news: Latest updates as UK cases hit highest daily total
4 years, 6 months ago

Coronavirus news: Latest updates as UK cases hit highest daily total

The Independent  

✕ Close Boris Johnson warns ‘things will be tough’ as furlough scheme replaced Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our …

Coronavirus: NHS app users who receive a ‘false positive’ message still at higher risk of getting the disease, experts warn
4 years, 6 months ago

Coronavirus: NHS app users who receive a ‘false positive’ message still at higher risk of getting the disease, experts warn

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Users of the new long-awaited NHS coronavirus app who receive a …

Government urged to 'prove' the Apple and Google coronavirus contact tracing app works
4 years, 6 months ago

Government urged to 'prove' the Apple and Google coronavirus contact tracing app works

Daily Mail  

The NHS contact tracing coronavirus app launches later this week amid a storm of doubt and uncertainty. Scroll down for video The effectiveness of the soon to be released app has been called into question on the eve of its launch with a charity asking why the public has yet to see data from the recent tests on the Isle …

Coronavirus: NHS app will carry out contact-tracing, government admits - hours after saying it would not
4 years, 6 months ago

Coronavirus: NHS app will carry out contact-tracing, government admits - hours after saying it would not

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy No 10 has been left red-faced after wrongly saying the long-delayed …

CDC reverses controversial coronavirus testing guidelines amid expert backlash
4 years, 6 months ago

CDC reverses controversial coronavirus testing guidelines amid expert backlash

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The Centres for Disease …

Coronavirus test and trace stats show 167% rise in positive cases
4 years, 6 months ago

Coronavirus test and trace stats show 167% rise in positive cases

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy More than 18,300 people tested positive for coronavirus in the latest …

Why Contact-Tracing Apps Haven’t Slowed Covid-19 in the US
4 years, 6 months ago

Why Contact-Tracing Apps Haven’t Slowed Covid-19 in the US

Wired  

As Covid-19 spread across the United States this spring, Jodie Pond, the health director in Teton County, Wyoming, looked forward to deploying a new weapon against the pandemic. A smartphone app would help her small team of contact tracers find people exposed to the virus more quickly. So in July, when Covid-19 cases in the county spiked, Pond’s small department …

Faulty tests, poor contact tracing: COVID-19 fight in Kashmir faces myriad stumbling blocks
4 years, 6 months ago

Faulty tests, poor contact tracing: COVID-19 fight in Kashmir faces myriad stumbling blocks

Firstpost  

Officials who have been testing the coronavirus samples of patients in different hospitals said in Kashmir that the staff was not fully trained to test the patients. The COVID-19 positive cases in Kashmir have remained significantly unreported as the hospitals in Srinagar refuse to admit patients while the health workers have not been able to test the contacts of positive …

Delhi govt to launch aggressive contact tracing of coronavirus patients: Jain
4 years, 7 months ago

Delhi govt to launch aggressive contact tracing of coronavirus patients: Jain

Live Mint  

The Delhi government will scale up COVID-19 testing through its network of 300 dispensaries and hospitals, and start aggressive contact tracing of coronavirus patients in the city, Health Minister Satyendar Jain said on Friday. The health minister said the AAP government is committed to doubling the COVID-19 test from the present 20,000 per day to 40,000 per day within a …

Delhi Govt to Launch Aggressive Contact Tracing of Coronavirus Patients, Says Health Minister
4 years, 7 months ago

Delhi Govt to Launch Aggressive Contact Tracing of Coronavirus Patients, Says Health Minister

News 18  

The Delhi government will scale up COVID-19 testing through its network of 300 dispensaries and hospitals, and start aggressive contact tracing of coronavirus patients in the city, Health Minister Satyendar Jain said on Friday. The health minister said the AAP government is committed to doubling the COVID-19 test from the present 20,000 per day to 40,000 per day within a …

COVID-19 Contact-Tracing Scams: 4 Signs That Call, Email Or Text Is A Fake
4 years, 7 months ago

COVID-19 Contact-Tracing Scams: 4 Signs That Call, Email Or Text Is A Fake

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING A crucial tool for controlling the spread of the coronavirus is contact tracing ― tracking down people who may have been exposed to COVID-19 and encouraging them to quarantine. According to the Federal Trade Commission, contact tracing is the “process of identifying people who have come in contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, instructing …

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