Challenge 3: What is the Process of Contact Tracing?
Learning Targets:
- I can explain to my friends or family why they should answer phone calls from contact tracers and what to expect during the phone conversation.
- I can draw a flowchart that illustrates the sequential processes involved in contact tracing.
- I can relate the processes used to the principles of case identification and contact tracing.
Activity 1: What to expect if you receive a call from a Contact Tracer.
Estimated Time: 60 minutes
Examine
- The CDC publication, “Contact Tracing: Do your part to keep your family, friends, and community safe.” These 2 Infographics present a summary of your probable experience if you received a call from a Contact Tracer working for your local or state health department.
Reflect & Discuss
- The first Infographic shows what you can expect to happen during contact tracing if you have been diagnosed with COVID-19.
- Predict your reactions if you received this call.
- What part(s) of the process do you think you would find most difficult? Why?
- What part(s) of the process do you think you would find most useful or comforting?
- The second Infographic shows what to expect to happen during contact tracing if you may have been exposed to someone with COVID-19.
- Predict your reactions if you received this call.
- What part(s) of the process do you think you would find most difficult? Why?
- What part(s) of the process do you think you would find most useful or comforting?
Record
- Your conversation with a friend or family member explaining why they should answer phone calls from contact tracers and what to expect to happen during the call.
Activity 2: Principles and Workflow of Case Identification and Contact Tracing.
Estimated Time: 45 minutes
Read
- The first 2 sections of an article in Time titled “What Is Contact Tracing? Here's How It Could Be Used to Help Fight Coronavirus”. They provide an overview of the process of contact tracing. Focus on these sections: “What is Contact Tracing?” and “How does Contact Tracing Work?”
Reflect & Discuss
- What are the key ideas of this reading selection? In what ways does this reading selection relate to the previous activities in this Challenge?
Review: 2 Infographics
Analyze and Discuss
- How do the 2 Infographics relate?
- What is the purpose of each step?
- Why are the steps presented in the order that they are shown?
- How well do the infographics represent the summary you read at the beginning of this activity? Provide evidence for your evaluation.
Read
- The first 3 sections of a CDC report titled: “Case Investigation and Contact Tracing : Part of a Multipronged Approach to Fight the COVID-19 Pandemic” to learn about the principles of case investigation and contact tracing. Focus on these three sections: “Certain core principles of case investigation and contact tracing must always be adhered to.”, “Case investigation and contact tracing is part of the process of supporting patients and warning contacts of exposure in order to stop chains of transmission.”, and “Time is of the essence.”
Analyze & Discuss
- In what ways do the infographics support the CDC principles of Case Investigation and Contact Tracing?
Activity 3: The Role of Contact Tracers
Estimated Time: 30 minutes
Watch: 2 short videos
Continued...
Write &Discuss
- Make a list of the things contact tracers are expected to do during a call to a case or contact. Discuss it with others.
Watch
- “The Summary of the Six Steps of Case Investigation and Contact Tracing” [i:34]: to help you evaluate the thoroughness of your list.
Discuss
- How closely did your list of the expectations contract tracers during a call compare with the Six Steps?
Activity 4: Rapport and Communication: Necessary skills of effective contact tracers.
Estimated Time: 60 minutes
Now that you know some things about what contact tracers do, think about how they should do their job. What personality traits would you expect a contact tracer to have if they were calling you to inform you that you are a case or a contact?
Brainstorm
- A list of traits, attitudes, feelings, and/or behaviors that contact tracers should exhibit when on a call.
Watch
- “Summary of Effect Rapport and Communication” [2:45] in order to evaluate the brainstormed list. https://www.coursera.org/lecture/covid-19-contact-tracing/summary-llYNY
Provide Examples
- Make a table like the one shown below. From your brainstormed list, select 3 traits, attitudes, feelings, or behaviors to analyze.
- Write each of them in a separate row of the left column of the table.
- In the middle column, describe what a communicator who is expressing that rows’ (trait, attitude, feeling, or behavior) does, looks like, and/or sounds.
- In the right column, describe what a communicator who is expressing a complete lack of that rows’ (trait, attitude, feeling, or behavior) does, looks like, and/or sounds.
Roleplay
- The appearance of the traits, attitudes, feelings, behaviors to demonstrate the differences between exhibiting them and not exhibiting them.
Reflect & Discuss
- What did you realise about yourself during the roleplay?
- How might those realizations affect interactions you have when communicating in day-to-day life?
Watch
- “Tips for Effective Communication” [11:34]
Reflect & Discuss
- How did the video examples help you identify some tips for effective communication? Which 3 tips do you find most important? Why?