https://www.nationalacademies.org/event/07-30-2020/doing-it-right-contact-tracing-and-health-equity

There is ample evidence that communities of color during the COVID-19 pandemic are experiencing significantly higher rates of infection and significantly higher mortality rates when compared to white Americans. As states and communities emerge from stay-at-home orders and reopen, testing and contact tracing will be important tools to use in heading off future outbreaks of COVID-19. It is critical that contact tracing efforts are executed in ways that are appropriate to those communities experiencing a greater burden of COVID-19. In some cases these efforts must take into account the distrust some communities have in health care systems and providers. Other issues relevant to contact tracing include language, cultural competency, health literacy, stigma, and privacy concerns.  Further, contact tracers may identify individuals who lack access to care and/or insurance, or the supportive services needed to isolate if positive, and some individuals will be residents without documentation. New financial resources are being made available to states and localities for contact tracing efforts. Recruiting and building a new cadre of contact tracers should meet the immediate goal of addressing the pandemic but attention could also be paid to building a public health infrastructure in communities that supports health equity.REGISTER HERE