Prioritizing COVID-19 Contact Tracing During a Surge Using Chatbot Technology.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Infectious Disease Control

Background:

• Effective contact tracing is crucial during COVID-19 surges.
• Prioritizing vulnerable communities for isolation and quarantine support is essential.
• Efficient case investigation methods are needed to manage high case loads.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a strategy for improving contact tracing efficiency during a COVID-19 resurgence.
• To assess the impact of zip code prioritization and chatbot screening on case investigation.
• To determine if the strategy improved access to support for vulnerable populations, particularly Latinx individuals.

Main Methods:

• Implemented telephone-based case investigation prioritized by zip code during a fall 2020 COVID-19 surge in San Francisco.
• Utilized a chatbot to screen case participants for isolation support needs.
• Compared the number of assigned telephone interviews before and after the strategy implementation.

Main Results:

• The combined strategy reduced the number of case participants assigned for telephone interviews by 31.5%.
• The approach likely contributed to successfully interviewing 87.5% of Latinx case participants.
• This indicates improved efficiency and potentially better reach to specific communities.

Conclusions:

• Zip code prioritization and chatbot screening are effective strategies for enhancing COVID-19 contact tracing efficiency.
• These methods can help manage high case volumes and ensure support reaches vulnerable populations.
• Optimizing case investigation processes is vital for public health emergency response.