About This Course

In this course, you will learn about the science of SARS-CoV-2 and how contact tracing is done. The course covers several important ethical considerations around contact tracing, isolation, and quarantine. Finally, the course will identify some of the most common barriers to contact tracing efforts, along with strategies to overcome them.

This course includes the following 5 modules:
Module 1: Basics of COVID-19
Module 2: Basics of Contact Tracing for COVID-19
Module 3: Steps to Investigate Cases and Trace Their Contacts
Module 4: Ethics of Contact Tracing and Technological Tools
Module 5: Skills for Effective Communication.

Module 1 - Basics if COVID 19
Learning Objectives:
1. Describe the origins of the virus that causes COVID-19
2. Identify the clinical signs and symptoms of COVID-19 and risk factors for severe disease
3. Describe how someone is diagnosed with COVID-19
4. Describe when someone is infectious
5. Explain how this virus is transmitted from one person to another

Module 2: Basics of Contact Tracing for COVID-19
Learning Objectives
1. Describe what contact tracing is and how it stops transmission of SARS-CoV-2
2. Define a case of COVID-19 and a contact
3. Explain the meaning and purpose of isolation and quarantine
4. Calculate how long a case should isolate and how long a contact should quarantine
5. Describe the connection between the infectious period and isolation and quarantine
6. Identify high risk settings for transmission that require extra action

Module 3: Steps to Investigate Cases and Trace Their Contacts
Learning Objectives
1. Identify all of the steps to investigate cases and trace their contacts
2. Provide examples of the kinds of questions you might ask at each step
3. Describe the kinds of social support that cases and contacts may need to carry out isolation and quarantine
4. Present an example of a simple case investigation and contact tracing call

Module 4: Ethics of Contact Tracing and Technological Tools
Learning Objectives
1. Define and provide examples of important terms, such as privacy, autonomy, and public good
2. Describe the balance between protecting public health and limits to privacy and autonomy
3. Provide examples of the balance between keeping information private and protecting public health
4. Identify a selection of technological tools that have been developed or used for each step of caseinvestigation and contact tracing

Module 5: Skills for Effective Communication
Learning Objectives
1. Describe the meaning and importance of rapport
2. Explain some ways to have more effective communication with cases and contacts
3. Understand the difference between question types (open versus closed, for example)
4. Describe what it means to be an “active listener”
5. Explain the four basic types of human communication and how they apply to contact tracing
6. Describe and troubleshoot common difficulties with case investigation and contact tracing