Contact Tracing in the Context of COVID-19 in the Region of the Americas. Complement to the WHO Interim Guidance on Contact Tracing

Abstract

This publication complements the interim guidance published by the World Health Organization on 1 February 2021, titled Contact tracing in the context of COVID-19. It is aimed at national health authorities, public health professionals, and other officials involved in developing and implementing policies and standard operating procedures on contact tracing operations in the Americas. The document provides operational considerations, with specific examples and mechanisms, in areas related to contact tracing in the Region of the Americas, particularly the following: epidemiological scenarios; duration of quarantine and testing; calculating the workforce; quarantine compliance mechanisms; community engagement; key performance indicators (KPIs) for contact tracing programs in the COVID‑19 context, and backward (retrospective) tracing. The information and recommendations included here reflect evidence available at the date of publication provided by countries of the Region. This publication will be updated as new evidence becomes available.