Behavioral changes for more efficient contact tracing

 

It's already been several months into the pandemic, and there remains a lot of uncertainty on when it will end. For many field experts like Martin Sanders, the best way to go is changing one's behavior while coexisting with the virus. On this blog, he shares ways to make contact tracing more efficient.

Image source: webflow.com

It's quite convenient to have a GPS tracking system on the phone, with an app that automatically documents each stop that one makes throughout the day. As an alternative, one can keep a list or a daily journal of the places they visited. In contact tracing, the experts and the authorities will treat such information as golden sources of intelligence that they could use to determine red zones or zones with a high potential for people to get infected in.

Along with this list, one should keep a note of the people they encountered. Perhaps they can write these down in a journal too, before calling it a day, suggests Martin Sanders. Knowing who one came in proximity with can provide critical tracing information for them and others, in case either find themselves suspected of having the coronavirus. Indeed, this is where the essence of contact tracing lies. 

Image source: wbur.com

It's also very helpful to inform family members of where one intends to go and where they have come from so that the household can keep a record as a group. Such group dynamics can be applied as well in the work environment. Employees are better off if they can agree to share their contact tracing information with each other, as well as the clients that they meet, says Martin Sanders.

Cap

t. Martin Sanders, Ph.D., has extensive experience in biological defense activities and infectious disease outbreak investigation. He has more than a decade of service in occupational safety and health. For more information, visit this page.

Disclaimer: This site was prepared by Martin Sanders in his personal capacity. The opinions expressed are the author's own and do not reflect the views of the USPHS, the Department of Health and Human Services, or the United States government.