DESCRIPTION

We identify seven problems associated with contact tracing. The first is establishing trust. People who have positive tests will not share information about the people with whom they have come into contact unless they trust the contract tracing personnel and organizations doing the work. Similarly, people who are contacted will be less willing to be interviewed and tested unless they trust the process. Second is determining which contacts receive the highest priority. Third, there are logistical challenges associated with locating people with whom an infected person has come into contact. Fourth, once people are contacted and asked to quarantine, it is important to support their physical and mental health needs. Fifth, recruiting, training and managing contact tracing personnel is a major challenge. Six, because contact tracing is a form of surveillance that could be abused, it is important to address the issue of privacy and protecting personal information. Finally, it is crucial to measure and evaluate the success of the contact tracing system.