Covid-19: What is Contact tracing and how does it work?

People in close contact with someone who is infected with a virus are usually at higher risk of becoming infected themselves, and of further infecting others.

Closely watching these contacts after exposure to an infected person will help the contacts to get care and treatment and will prevent further transmission of the virus.

What is contact tracing?

It means literally tracking down anyone that somebody with an infection may have had contact within the days before they became ill. All persons considered to have contact with the infected person should be listed as contacts.

What to do after?

Contacts should be provided with information about prevention of the disease. In some cases, quarantine or isolation is required for high risk contacts.

Will there be a follow up?

Yes, the contact tracers would either call each day to check how they were or ask them to phone if they felt ill. If they developed symptoms, the tracers would start again, looking for their contacts in turn.