How Contact Tracing Works
Because the situation surrounding COVID-19 is constantly evolving, some information may not be up to date. Stay informed by following information from your local officials and by visiting the CDC website.
While contact tracing has become a major topic in the past few months since the pandemic began, it’s been in practice for years as health officials try to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. The general thought behind this practice is to identify people who may be infected as a result of having contact with a contagious individual. The goal is to make the potentially exposed individuals aware so they can take the necessary precautions to avoid spreading the disease even more. While this process may sound complicated, it’s actually quite simple.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “For COVID-19, a close contact is defined as any individual who was within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes starting from two days before illness onset (or, for asymptomatic patients, two days prior to positive specimen collection) until the time the patient is isolated.”
If you’ve had close contact with a person with COVID-19 or any other infectious disease, schedule a virtual visit with your Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Group primary care physician. They can advise you on your next step, whether it be testing, quarantining for a designated period, or both.
Sources:
WHO | Contact Tracing
CDC | Contact Tracing for COVID-19