The importance of contact tracing to reduce covid cases

In addition to increasing the number of tests for testing the COVID-19 virus, experts appeal to the government to be more careful in contact tracing or contact tracing . This is so that experts can track the spread of the virus and reduce the number of COVID-19 cases. So, what is contact tracing and why is it important to do so?

Contact tracking (contact tracing) coronavirus case

Reporting from the World Health Organization (WHO), contact tracing or contact tracing is the process of identifying and managing infected patients. This aims to prevent further transmission.

In the case of COVID-19, contact tracing is an important part of reducing the number of cases. In addition, this method is very much needed considering a vaccine to prevent the corona virus has not yet been found.

Generally, contact tracing begins when a person is diagnosed with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. This method can also be used in suspected cases of people, including when a person experiences symptoms of COVID-19, such as fever and shortness of breath.

A trained health worker or volunteer will interview the person by telephone. It aims to help them remember who they have had direct contact with and wherever they have gone.

COVID-19 Outbreak updates Country: IndonesiaData

1,024,298

Confirmed

831,330

Recovered

28,855

DeathDistribution Map

Close and direct contact is generally defined as a person who is within 2-3 meters of a positive patient with COVID-19 and the following conditions.

• Live in the same house.
• The duration of contact lasted for more than 15 minutes.
• Occurs 48 hours before the patient is diagnosed positive until the request for isolation.
• Being in a closed room, like a hospital waiting room.
• Boarding a plane less than two meters.

After the interview is over, the interviewee will be asked to maintain a distance from other people and may undergo home quarantine. If there are new cases of the tested contacts, the contact tracing process continues.

How does contact tracing reduce the spread of COVID-19?

Although contact tracing is a long process, the number of cases of COVID-19 can be slowed down in this way. Why is that?

If contact tracing finds previously undetected positive patients, the spread of the disease can be stopped. The reason is, this method helps control outbreaks, especially newly discovered diseases, before they spread massively.

Contact tracing it does sound more effective if done from the start and will make a sizeable difference in some countries.

For example, South Korea is responding to the COVID-19 pandemic quite quickly by increasing virus testing to properly carry out contact tracing. As a result, the spread of cases in South Korea was well suppressed.

Tracking contacts and ensuring they do not interact with others is important so that the spread does not spread. If the government in a region cannot isolate the patient and physical distancing often ignored, the spread of COVID-19 can spread quickly.

In the end, the data gathered from contact tracing helps epidemiologists analyze a disease and how it is transmitted in a given population. This method also helps keep the community safer from disease outbreaks and reduces the death rate until the pandemic is completely gone.

Limitations of COVID-19 contact tracing

Tracking the spread of COVID-19 cases is indeed not easy, so contact tracing is required along with a COVID-19 swab test. This method will also work effectively, especially at low infection rates in areas where steps are already being taken lockdown .

Contact tracing at times does not appear to be effective, as is the case with the COVID-19 pandemic that has spread so widely. Countries with high populations may find it difficult to reduce the spread of the virus if it is not accompanied by community contributions in preventing it.

This is especially true when the country lacks trained staff or volunteers willing to track the spread of cases and there is a lack of testing equipment available.

On the other hand, not a few people without symptoms (OTG) can transmit the virus without them knowing it. This has made contact tracing for the COVID-19 pandemic more difficult and limited.

Even though, contact tracing still contributing quite a lot in slowing down the rate of COVID-19 cases. This method is also reliable enough that a drug or vaccine is found to treat and prevent transmission of the virus.

Community contributions are very helpful

Limitations of contact tracing in order to reduce the number of COVID-19 cases can be overcome through active contributions from the community. The government should involve the community or the regional head to tell the community how to reduce the risk of spreading the virus.

Other than that, contact tracing may also have the public monitored on a day-to-day basis and willing to report COVID-19 symptoms immediately. People are also at least willing to undergo quarantine for at least 14 days or isolation when they show symptoms.

By contributing to contact tracing, you are also helping to control the spread of local viruses. Groups of people at risk are also better protected and restrictions on movement, such as staying at home, can be relaxed.