Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 27, 2025
Large-Scale SARS-CoV-2 Testing Utilizing Saliva and Transposition Sample Pooling
Published on: June 23, 2022
Integrating Contact Tracers Into Point-of-Care Testing Workflow to Accelerate the Tracing of People With Exposure to
Chi-Chi N Udeagu1, Misato Gbedemah, Masha Pitiranggon
1New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Queens, New York (Mss Udeagu, Pitiranggon, and Blaney and Dr Vora); New York City Test & Trace Corps, New York City, New York (Mss Udeagu, Gbedemah, Pitiranggon, Feldman, Goldenberg, Keeley, and Blaney and Drs Cordoba, Vora, and Long); and New York City Health + Hospitals Corporation, New York City, New York (Mss Gbedemah, Feldman, Goldenberg, and Keeley and Drs Cordoba and Long).
Objectives:
We assessed the timeliness of contact tracing following rapid-positive COVID-19 test result at point-of-care testing (POCT) sites in New York City (NYC).
Design:
Interviewed case-patients to elicit exposed contacts and conducted COVID-19 exposure notifications.
Settings:
Twenty-two COVID-19 POCT sites in NYC, the 2 NYC international airports, and 1 ferry terminal.
Participants:
Case-patients with rapid-positive COVID-19 test results and their named contacts.
Main Outcome Measures:
We quantified the proportions of interviewed individuals with COVID-19 and notified contacts and assessed the timeliness between the dates of the rapid-positive COVID-19 test results and the interviews or notifications.
Results:
In total, 11 683 individuals with rapid-positive COVID-19 test results were referred for contact tracing on the day of their diagnosis; 8878 (76) of whom were interviewed within 1 day of diagnosis, of whom 5499 (62%) named 11 486 contacts. A median of 1.24 contacts were identified from each interview. The odds of eliciting contacts were significantly higher among individuals reporting COVID-19 symptoms than among persons with no symptoms (51% vs 36%; adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.37; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.11-1.70) or living with 1 or more persons than living alone (89% vs 38%; aOR = 12.11; 95% CI, 10.73-13.68). Among the 8878 interviewed case-patients, 8317 (94%) were interviewed within 1 day of their rapid-positive COVID-19 test results and 91% of contact notifications were completed within 1 day of contact identification. The median interval from test result to interview date and from case investigation interview to contact notification were both 0 days (IQR = 0).
Conclusions:
The integration of contact tracers into COVID-19 POCT workflow achieved timely case investigation and contact notification. Accelerated contact tracing can be used to curb COVID-19 transmission during local outbreaks.
More Related Videos
07:13Swabbing the Urban Environment - A Pipeline for Sampling and Detection of SARS-CoV-2 From Environmental Reservoirs
Published on: April 9, 2021
10:47High-throughput, Automated Extraction of DNA and RNA from Clinical Samples using TruTip Technology on Common Liquid Handling Robots
Published on: June 11, 2013
