Sample Script for Calling a Contact – (Close contact with COVID positive individual)

A. Interviewing contact directly, (independent adults)

1. Start the conversation:

“Hello, my name is ______________ and I am calling from the ________ Department of
Health. Could I please speak with name of contact?”

2. Explain the purpose of the call:

“As I said, my name is ___________ and I am part of the COVID-19 contact tracing team.
I am calling because you have been in contact with someone who has COVID-19. Before
we begin, I just want to confirm your date of birth and address, could you share those
with me?”
If yes, just confirm.
• If hesitant, give them a piece of the information you have so that they can provide the
rest such as the year of birth or town of residency.
• If still hesitant explain that this call is part of efforts to control the spread of COVID-19.

“All of the information we talk about will be kept confidential and only people who
need to know will have access to it. The information is only used to help us stop the
spread of COVID-19 and make sure you are healthy. Everything is entered into a highly
protected data base. Is it ok if I continue?’

• They may ask who they were exposed to.

“I cannot tell you that information. I need to protect that person’s health information,
just as I will protect yours.”
• Then move on. Do not disclose case information. Do not confirm, even if they guess.

3. Explain the next steps:

“As I said, I am part of the COVID-19 contact tracing team. Contact tracing aims to
identify individuals who have been around people with COVID-19 and may have been
exposed to the virus. and the goal is to give contacts the information they need in order to
limit the spread of the virus. I will ask a number of questions to get all the information that
is needed to best determine how we can help you. I will ask some basic information about
you and any symptoms of COVID-19 you may have. I also want to go over next steps in
taking care of yourself and others in your home. This is a very important part of stopping
 the spread of the virus, and I appreciate your time and help to do this. What questions do
you have at this point?

• If now is a good time, continue with the interview.

• Try to get the contact to do the interview while you have them on the line. If that is not
possible, schedule a time that works for the contact, and call them back then.
4. Start the interview:
“Thank you. We will get started. Feel free to stop me at any time with questions.”
• Start interview.
• If interview questions are being answered by a surrogate record the surrogate’s
relationship to the contact.
• Ways to verify the identity of the parent proxy or surrogate include,
o Calling the contact’s provider
o Ask for the contact’s date of birth, address, date tested, where tested to show they
know them
o Ask your supervisor when in doubt

5. Conduct interview, using the system flow, covering areas in the contact form including:

“I would like to tell you how COVID-19 spreads. It is spread through close contact with a
person who is infected with the virus that causes COVID-19. Sometimes it is spread for a
short time through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes.”

“How are you feeling? Have you had any symptoms of COVID-19? I will go through a list of
symptoms so you can tell me if you have had them recently.”

If yes, then say:

“I will now ask what dates each symptom started.”
“Do you have a health care provider?”
“Do you have any other current medical conditions” (e.g., diabetes, hypertensions,
asthma, copd, cancer, kidney disease, anemia)

Any contact who has symptoms

• Transfer the contact into the CommCare Person Under Investigation workflow
which will target the contact for testing and medical care.
• See the Need for Medical and Testing Services protocol
• Ask them to call their health care provider.
 6. Identify household members:

“Do you live alone or with others? Please tell me the names of people who have been
living with you since XX,XX (date of contact with the case).”

• Complete a systematic review of household members

“Is anyone in the household over 65 or immunocompromised that you know of?”

B. Interviewing Parent/Guardian for Underage Case-Patient:

“Hello, I am calling from the _________ Department of Health. Can I please speak with a
parent or guardian of name of minor contact?”

• If connected with parent/guardian, continue with the interview.

• If not connected, ask when the best time to reach parent/guardian is and end call
• If connected with contact and they offer to answer directly: “I can ask you these questions, but I
would need verbal permission from a parent or guardian before we start”
• Follow Steps 3-6 in Section A above.

C. Proxy Interview for Deceased Contact

“Hello, I am calling from the ______________ Department of Health. Could I please speak
with name of proxy? I am sorry for your loss and I want to thank you for spending the time to
go through the questions with me.”

• If connected with proxy, continue with the interview.

• If not connected, ask when the best time to reach proxy is and end call
• If no answer leave message. See section A above.
• Follow Step 3-7 in Section B above.

D. Proxy Interview for Case Patient with Medical/Psychiatric Barriers, or Developmental

Disabilities

“Hello, I am calling from the _______________ Department of Health. Could I please speak
with name of proxy?”

• If connected with proxy, continue with the interview.

• If not connected, ask when the best time to reach proxy is and end call
• If no answer after 3 attempts leave message: See sample message below
 • Follow Step 3-7 in Section B above.

E. Provide education on quarantine, expectations for monitoring, how/who to contact for

any needed services

1. Review need for quarantine

“Since you were in close contact with someone who is positive for COVID-19 it is possible
that you are also infected. It can take 2 – 14 days to show symptoms, so we may not
know for up to 2 weeks if you are infected or not. Because of this, it’s important that you
stay home and distance yourself from others so that you don’t pass on the infection to
anyone else. It may turn out that you are not infected but it is too soon to tell. So, you
will be required to quarantine, that means stay at home. You will also be required to
monitor your symptoms for 14 days since the date of last contact with the positive case.
Being on quarantine is a legal requirement and your local health department will issue a
legal quarantine order to you. Do you agree to allow us to send you the quarantine order
by email? By accepting the order this way, you are allowing health officials to spend
more time focusing on slowing the spread of the virus.”

“Since your last contact was on XX,XX, 2020, you will need to be quarantined until date
plus 14 days.”

• If the person pushes back or refuses quarantine, refer the case-patient to a Community
Support Specialist.

2. Review quarantine and monitoring requirements, and appropriateness of setting

“Now I am going to discuss how you should self-quarantine to protect others in your
household from exposure. You should:

• Stay in one room away from others, as much as possible. It is particularly important
to stay away from people who are at higher risk of serious illness, such as those who
have underlying medical conditions, are immunosuppressed, are over 60 years of
age or are pregnant. We can discuss alternate living arrangements for you or them if
needed.
• Use a separate bathroom. It this is not possible, clean the bathroom after every use.
All the bathrooms should have a working sink, soap, and paper towels. Do not use
cloth towels, and never share towels with others.
 • Stay at least 6 feet from others and wear a facemask if you are around others.
Ideally, there should be a door that always separates you from others.
• Sleep in a private room
• Have food prepared by others and delivered to your door.
• Bag any garbage and leave it outside your door for pick up. It can be put in regular
trash bin.
• Have someone else take care of your pets if possible.
• You may need to have someone else do your laundry.
o Wear gloves if handling the laundry of a sick person. (If no gloves are used when
handling dirty laundry, be sure to wash or sanitize hands afterwards.)
o If possible, do not shake dirty laundry. This will minimize the possibility of
dispersing virus through the air.
o Launder items as appropriate in accordance with the manufacturer’s
instructions. If possible, launder items using the warmest appropriate water
setting for the items and dry items completely. Dirty laundry from an ill person
can be washed with other people’s items.
o Clean and disinfect clothes hampers according to guidance above for surfaces. If
possible, consider placing a bag liner that is either disposable (can be thrown
away) or can be laundered.
• Prohibit visitors who do not have an essential need to be in the home.

“You are allowed to walk outside of your house on your property, but you should remain
six feet away from others and wear a mask. You should not leave your property, home or
apartment except to get medical care. Do not visit public areas.”
Now I am going to ask you questions about where you live.

• “Are you able to quarantine yourself at home (or designated temporary housing) away
from other household members for at least fourteen days?”
• “Please describe the place where you are currently living.”
• “What other persons and pets currently are living with you?”
• “Is there a way you can live in a separated part of your home during this time?”
• “Is there a door that separates this part of the house from others?”
• “Can you use a separate bathroom from other members of the household?”
• “Is where you live safe from intruders?”
• “Are there shared common areas in the house or apartment?”
• “Do you need to use the same kitchen as other? Can food be brought to you?”

“Please let me know if you have any concerns about being able to quarantine. It is important
that we work together to prevent the spread of illness. How do you feel about these guidelines I
just shared with you? Will there be any challenges in following these guidelines?”

If the contact says that they need to find housing for quarantine or you have concerns about
housing for this case, refer the person to the Community Support Specialist.
3. Review need for testing of all asymptomatic contacts
“You may have heard that a certain percentage of people who become infected with the virus
that causes COVID-19 do not have symptoms. For that reason, it is recommended that all
contacts be tested as soon as possible. We will be referring you for testing as soon as possible.”
4. Review expectations for monitoring
Review plans for monitoring

“As I said, you need to be monitored during the time you will be on quarantine. You are being
offered a text monitoring option. If you chose this option, you will be sent a daily text message
asking about any symptoms and how you are doing. Does that sound ok to you?”

If the contact agrees to text messaging

“We will be sending you a text daily for the next___ days (at least 14 days from test or symptom
onset) that will ask about how you are doing, your temperature, any symptoms and any needs.
Do you have a working thermometer? (Provide chart for monitoring symptoms and
temperature twice daily). If the contact does not have a thermometer, consult with the
Community Support Specialist to get them one.

If the contact refuses text messaging: “We will be calling you daily for the next ___ days (at
least 14 days from test or symptom onset) and will ask about how you are doing, your
temperature, any symptoms and any needs. Do you have a working thermometer? (Provide
chart for monitoring symptoms and temperature twice daily.)
G. Assess need for social supports and medical care
“As we discussed, you will need to quarantine for at least 14 days from the date of your last
exposure to the person who has COVID. Because you will not be able to go out in public, I want
to ask if you think that you will need help with supplies or resources during this time. For
example, it is important that you have enough food to last until at least next week. Will you
need any medications delivered to you? Do you have enough cleaning or household supplies
available? Do you need any assistance taking care of your pets? Do you need assistance taking
care of children or others for whom you are a caretaker? Do you need a caregiver to assist you
with your daily activities?
You may be able to identify a friend, neighbor or family member who can assist you, but if not,
please let me know as soon as possible if you need help. You can reach me to talk about any
additional needs that you may have.
Please let us know if you ever feel unsafe in your home, now or at any point during your home
isolation.
Being in isolation for many days, and all that goes with it is a very trying experience. I can also
arrange for you to talk with a trained professional if you are feeling anxious or depressed.”

If the contact expressed concerns about meeting their needs or you have concerns about this
contact, refer them to the Community Support Specialist.
H. Explain what to do if condition worsens
“I am glad that you feel well at this time. However, I want to be sure we have a plan in case you
start to feel sick and think you need to see a doctor. If you feel that you need immediate
emergency medical care, do not hesitate to call 9-1-1. In addition to telling the operator about
your emergency, you should tell the operator that you have been exposed to COVID-19. Some
signs of an emergency include:
• Trouble breathing
• Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
• New confusion
• Inability to wake or stay awake
• Bluish lips or face”

“Do you have a health care provider? And do you know how or are you able to get in touch with
him or her? Do you have health insurance? Have you lost your job recently?”

If yes:
“If you do not feel well, but do not feel that you do not need immediate emergency medical
care, please call your primary care physician or the XXXX health department to discuss changes
to your health. If you don’t have a health care provider or health insurance, we can work with
you to find a provider.”

If no:
“I am going to refer you to a Community Support Specialist who can help you find health care.”

If you have concerns about this contact, refer them to the Community Support Specialist.

I. End interview

End interview with “Thank you very much for your time. The information you’ve shared is very
helpful in keeping you safe, protecting those around you, and understanding the disease. We
may need to follow up with you again. Do you have any questions for me?”
Maybe add, if you have any questions, here is a number you can call or a website with the info
we just discussed, etc. You can expect a text (or call, depending on if they opt out of text)
tomorrow.

End call