April 9, 2021

Notes from the Field : COVID-19 Case Investigation and Contact Tracing Program — Spirit Lake Tribe, North Dakota, September–November 2020

Category: Article Summary

Topic: Public Health Policy and Practice

Keywords (Tags): contact tracing, public health

• In September 2020, a CDC-assisted, tribally managed COVID-19 case investigation and contact tracing program for the Spirit Lake Tribe in North Dakota was implemented in response to increasing incidence of COVID-19. Between September 29 and November 20, 2020, 317 persons with confirmed COVID-19 and 667 close contacts were reported. 80% of patients with confirmed COVID-19 and 78% of 538 close contacts who did not receive a COVID-19 diagnosis were contacted by program staff within 24 hours of receipt of test results. During the assessment period, the incidence of COVID-19 in the Spirit Lake Tribe plateaued at 520 to 600 cases per 100,000 persons per week while the incidence in North Dakota increased from 455 to 1,137 cases per 100,000/week. The authors note that using Spirit Lake community members as program staff was critical to program success due to their knowledge of alternate methods to reach patients or contacts, trust from the community, and the ability to provide culturally appropriate information about quarantine. 

Matthias et al. (Apr 9, 2021). Notes from the Field : COVID-19 Case Investigation and Contact Tracing Program — Spirit Lake Tribe, North Dakota, September–November 2020. MMWR. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7014a4