contact tracing

Numerous people have tested positive for the coronavirus after attending a Sept. 26 event in the Rose Garden at the White House to announce President Trump's nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court.

The Many, Maddening Hurdles To Contact Tracing The White House Outbreak

6:55pm October 09, 2020

by Selena Simmons-Duffin

The coronavirus outbreak originating at the White House may have spread cases to dozens of other communities. But tracing related cases and stopping further spread is extremely challenging.

Trump speaks during a campaign rally at the Duluth International Airport on Sept. 30, 2020 in Duluth, Minn.

Health & Safety

How Do You Contact Trace The President Of The United States?

5:01am October 03, 2020

The President's diagnosis calls for contact tracing on a massive scale. Luckily, not everyone President Trump saw this week with is a high risk exposure. Here's who is.

President Trump speaks during a campaign rally at Harrisburg International Airport in Middletown, Pa., on Saturday.

'It's Not Just About The President': Tracing Trump's Contacts

1:25pm October 02, 2020

by Jason Breslow

"I suspect many senior members of the government are going to have to go into quarantine," says Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health.

Beware of scammers. Legitimate contact tracers will never ask you for any sort of payment or seek other financial information or your Social Security number.

How To Tell A Real COVID-19 Contact Tracer's Call From A Scammer's

9:47am August 20, 2020

by Julie Appleby

A loved one's health could depend on the truth if you get a call from a real contact tracer about your exposure to the coronavirus. But beware impostors who ask you for payment or to click on a link.

States that have made their contact tracing data public are green.

14 States Make Contact Tracing Data Public. Here's What They're Learning

4:37pm August 14, 2020

by Selena Simmons-Duffin

The information includes details on where transmission is happening most. If more states shared this widely, it could shape policy and save lives, health researchers say.

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Care resource coordinator Luisa Schaeffer scrolls through her COVID-19 isolation case list for the day: One woman is out of milk, while another needs help finding a doctor and making an appointment. A man also asks about getting help to pay rent.

Health & Safety

Contact Tracers In Massachusetts Order Milk And Help With Rent. Here's Why

4:01pm August 11, 2020

by Martha Bebinger

The state offers support and resources for people isolating because of COVID-19 — helping them make choices that keep everyone safe. It's work more states need to fund, experts say.

Contact tracers (from left) Christella Uwera, Dishell Freeman and Alejandra Camarillo work at Harris County Public Health Contact Tracing facility in Houston in June.

Health & Safety

Coronavirus Cases Are Surging. The Contact Tracing Workforce Is Not

1:04pm August 07, 2020

by Selena Simmons-Duffin

NPR surveyed all 50 states about their contact tracing work. The workforce has barely grown since mid-June, while cases have skyrocketed.

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Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam speaks during a news conference in Richmond, Va. on June 4. Virginia has rolled out a smartphone app to automatically notify people if they might have been exposed to the coronavirus.

Virginia Unveils App To Aid Contact Tracing

5:14pm August 05, 2020

by Sarah McCammon

Virginia's new COVIDWISE app is designed to alert users who may have been exposed to the coronavirus. The app relies on Bluetooth to notify people who may be at risk.

People wait in line outside a testing site in Florida. The state has seen unprecedented surges in coronavirus cases in recent weeks.

Pandemic Is Overwhelming U.S. Public Health Capacity In Many States. What Now?

3:03pm July 28, 2020

by Rob Stein

With the coronavirus spreading out of control in many parts of the U.S., some experts say the strategy of testing and tracing can't contain the pandemic until lockdowns bring case numbers down.

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Contact tracing for the coronavirus is the subject of colorful conspiracy theories. In fact, contact tracing is a straightforward process of notifying people if they've been exposed to someone who is sick.

Health & Safety

Conspiracy Theories Aside, Here's What Contact Tracers Really Do

11:43am July 14, 2020

by Julie Appleby

Recently, the idea of contact tracing has triggered some colorful misinformation campaigns. It's actually a tried-and-true public health tool that can curb the spread of the coronavirus.