Comprehensive information on a patient diagnosed with COVID-19 is the foundation of case investigation and contact tracing. This information includes the socio-demographic information, date of symptom onset or date of specimen collection for SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) testing, source of illness, list of close contacts and their locating information, duration of exposure, activity history during the contact elicitation window (when the patient was infectious and not under isolation), and exposure locations (including events/gatherings with unknown contacts).
Health departments are responsible for conducting COVID-19 case investigations and contact tracing and often have legal mandates to investigate cases of communicable