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Case investigation and contact tracing are an essential part of the COVID-19 response pdf icon[62 pages] Prompt isolation of people diagnosed with COVID-19, and identification and quarantine of close contacts, can effectively interrupt disease transmission and reduce spread of SARS CoV-2 When implemented quickly, contact tracing, along with other community mitigation efforts work together to reduce transmission Where increases in COVID-19 cases strain resources, health departments may need to prioritize case investigation and contact tracing Health departments experiencing surge or crisis situations around COVID-19 should prioritize case investigation interviews of people who tested positive for or were diagnosed with COVID-19 in the past 6 days (based on specimen collection date or symptom onset, if known) They should also focus contact tracing efforts on: household contacts exposed in the past 6 days, and people living, working, or visiting congregate living facilities, high density workplaces or other settings (or events) with potential extensive transmission In some instances, further prioritization may be necessary People diagnosed with COVID-19 should be strongly encouraged to notify all their household contacts: to immediately self-quarantine;and to seek additional guidance from their health department or CDC’s COVID-19 website As resources allow, health departments should expand case investigation and contact tracing for people outside the household who: are at increased risk for severe illness (older adults, people with certain medical conditions, and people who may need to take extra precautions against COVID-19);or are part of a cluster;or were exposed to COVID-19 within the past 6 days As resources allow or COVID-19 case rates decline, health departments should: expand case investigation interviews to people with positive COVID-19 test specimens collected in the past 14 days;and expand contact tracing to all contacts exposed within the past 14 days If more than 14 days have elapsed since specimen collection, case investigation and contact tracing should not be pursued unless there are unique circumstances associated with the person tested (e g , part of large outbreak associated with congregate living or high density workplace or work in a healthcare setting)
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