Contact Tracing: A Clarion Call for National Training Standards
- PMID: 32742148
- PMCID: PMC7360188
- DOI: 10.18865/ed.30.3.437
Contact Tracing: A Clarion Call for National Training Standards
Abstract
As of late May 2020, more than 1.5 million people had tested positive for coronavirus infection in the United States; however, only 3% of Americans had been tested. However, testing is only one of the key elements in the effort to control communicable diseases. There is a need to investigate others who may have been exposed to the virus; this can be accomplished through a foundational public health strategy - contact tracing. Most public health students and professionals have been introduced to the concept of contact tracing; however, competency in this area is undetermined. The purpose of this perspective is to call for national standards for contact tracing training programs that lead to a widely recognized certification process.
Keywords: COVID-19; Contact Tracing; Population Health; Training.
Copyright © 2020, Ethnicity & Disease, Inc.
Conflict of interest statement
Competing Interests: None declared.
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