A University-Led Contact Tracing Program Response to a COVID-19 Outbreak Among Students in Georgia, February-March 2021.

Few reports have described how university programs have controlled COVID-19 outbreaks. Emory University established a case investigation and contact tracing program in June 2020 to identify and mitigate transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in the Emory community. In February 2021, this program identified a surge in COVID-19 cases. In this case study, we present details of outbreak investigation, construction of transmission networks to assess clustering and identify groups for targeted testing, and program quality metrics demonstrating the efficiency of case investigation and contact tracing, which helped bring the surge under control. During February 10-March 5, 2021, Emory University identified 265 COVID-19 cases confirmed by nucleic acid testing in saliva or nasopharyngeal samples. Most students with COVID-19 were undergraduates (95%) and were affiliated with Greek life organizations (70%); 41% lived on campus. Network analysis identified 1 epidemiologically linked cluster of 198 people. Nearly all students diagnosed with COVID-19 (96%) were interviewed the same day as their positive test result. Of 340 close contacts, 90% were traced and 89% were tested. The median time from contact interview to first test was 2 days (interquartile range, 0-6 days); 43% received a positive test result during their quarantine. The surge was considered under control within 17 days, after which new cases were no longer epidemiologically linked. Early detection through systematic testing protocols and rapid and near-complete contact tracing, paired with isolation and quarantine measures, helped to contain the surge. Our approach emphasizes the importance of early preparation of adequate outbreak response infrastructure and staff to implement interventions appropriately and consistently during a pandemic.

Design and Implementation of a COVID-19 Case Investigation Program: An Academic-Public Health Partnership, Arizona, 2020.

From May through July 2020, Arizona was a global hotspot for new COVID-19 cases. In response to the surge of cases, local public health departments looked for innovative ways to form external partnerships to address their staffing needs. In collaboration with the Maricopa County Department of Public Health, the Arizona State University Student Outbreak Response Team (SORT) created and implemented a virtual call center to conduct public health case investigations for COVID-19. SORT officially launched a dedicated COVID-19 case investigation program after 3 weeks of program design and training. From June 29 through November 8, 2020, SORT recruited and trained 218 case investigators, completed 5000 case patient interviews, and closed 10 000 cases. Our team also developed process improvements to address disparities in case investigation timeliness. A strong infrastructure designed to accommodate remote case investigations, paired with a large workforce, enabled SORT to provide additional surge capacity for the county's high volume of cases. University-driven multidisciplinary case investigator teams working in partnership with state, tribal, and local public health staff members can be an effective tool for supporting a diverse and growing public health workforce. We discuss the essential design factors involved in building a university program to complement local COVID-19 response efforts, including workflows for case management, volunteer case investigator recruitment and training, secure technology platforms for conducting case investigations remotely, and robust data-tracking procedures for maintaining quality control and timely case reporting.

Training and Incorporating Students in SARS-CoV-2 Case Investigations and Contact Tracing.

OBJECTIVES: In June 2020, Arizona had the fastest-growing number of cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) worldwide. As part of the growing public health response, the University of Arizona Student Aid for Field Epidemiology Response (SAFER) team was able to modify and increase case investigation efforts to assist local health departments. We outline the recommended logistical and management steps to include students in a public health response of this scope. METHODS: From April 1 through September 1, 2020, the SAFER team identified key components of a successful student team response: volunteer training, management that allows more senior students to manage newer students, adoption of case-management software, and use of an online survey platform for students to conduct interviews consistently and allow for data quality control and management. RESULTS: From April 1 through September 1, 2020, SAFER worked with 3 local health departments to complete 1910 COVID-19 case investigations through a virtual call center. A total of 233 volunteers and 46 hourly student workers and staff members were involved. As of September 2020, students were completing >150 interviews per week, including contact-tracing efforts. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Developing relationships between applied public health and academic programs can relieve the burden of low-risk, high-volume case investigations at local and state health departments. Furthermore, by establishing a virtual call center, health sciences faculty and students can volunteer remotely during a pandemic with no additional risk of infection.