Abstract
Urgent public health interventions to mitigate the spread of Covid-19 curtailed most social activities and work. Meanwhile, maintaining social distancing and lockdown will cause substantial economic loss and social damage. Now the critical question is how to reopen the economy while containing the COVID-19 pandemic without social distancing restrictions? The solution is mass testing. Alternative public health intervention strategies such as shelter-in-place and social distancing policies that may halt economic activities may be curtailed if virus testing which is an effective way to contain Covid-19 is expanded. Although the U.S. still has a longer path ahead, we have estimated that if the number of daily tests is 581,000 per day, i.e., the current number of daily tests would need to be doubled in order for Covid-19 to be contained and social distancing measures to be lifted.
Highlights
Case investigation and contact tracing are key strategies to stop the spread of COVID-19
Public health departments have used contact tracing for decades to slow or stop the spread of infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis (TB), HIV, and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)
Letting people who might have been exposed to COVID-19 know that they should monitor their health for signs and symptoms of COVID-19, get tested and quarantine if needed
Summary
Case investigation and contact tracing are key strategies to stop the spread of COVID-19. Case investigation and contact tracing can slow the spread of COVID-19 by Letting people diagnosed with COVID-19 (cases) know they should isolate to avoid exposing others and assist with notifying their close contacts so they (close contacts) can get tested and quarantine if needed. Letting people who might have been exposed to COVID-19 (close contacts) know that they should monitor their health for signs and symptoms of COVID-19, get tested and quarantine if needed.
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