# What is the point of tracing contacts?



## Brendan Burgess (30 Dec 2020)

I can understand it when it comes to a s exually transmitted disease.  Most people wouldn't have a huge number of contacts, so they could be traced and treated.

It might also be helpful for Covid when there is a very low incidence of it in the population.

But when it is running rampant in the community as it seems to be now, does it achieve anything?

But with 1,700 cases a day and rising, it seems to have limited use.

We should all behave as if we have Covid.

It doesn't seem to have worked?  Or if we hadn't been tracing contacts, would it have been worse?

Brendan


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## Brendan Burgess (30 Dec 2020)

I googled it and found very little on it. 

If there is a delay in my presenting for testing and getting the results, it might be too late for my contacts. They will already be infectious and could well have finished infecting others.

On the other hand, if they can trace someone soon after they become infected, they might stop them infecting others. 

Brendan


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## Brendan Burgess (30 Dec 2020)

Brendan Burgess said:


> It doesn't seem to have worked?



But I suppose that argument could be used for face masks and hand washing as well. We have to assume that while they worked, they were not enough to stop the third wave.

Brendan


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## Paul O Mahoney (30 Dec 2020)

It is literally overrun.

Our son has a few symptoms for a few days and decided to call and tell them his movements,  not a lot but worked last week part time in a pub,

Couldn't get through, so he tried to organise a test just to be safe, ages got through to be told he needed to speak to his GP.............decided to ask them about recording his movements,  patched through no answer.

Drove to the private testing at Dublin Airport for a test and ask them if they could get through them, nope.

Its broken and wasn't much use anyway it needed to be non human but that was going to be expensive.

Edit; he did fill out a form but it didn't accept his email,  did it again accepted it nobody has called him yet....


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## tomdublin (30 Dec 2020)

Experts say that effective contact tracing is why places such as Japan, Taiwan and South Korea have done so well in this pandemic.  Unlike Ireland's HSE-run contact tracing system they trace contacts of contacts (not just contacts), rigorously enforce quarantine orders and don't continuously fail to follow up leads because of "staffing issues." It's also important to note that those three countries are all liberal democracies that share "Western" values regarding individual rights and privacy protection, yet they somehow manage to reconcile this with effective contact tracing that enjoys the trust and cooperation of their citizens.


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## Prosper (31 Dec 2020)

Why do some people always focus on the negative in this country. Always finding ways to criticise and undermine confidence and morale. The UK had over 50,000 cases yesterday and 980 deaths, this would equate to 3,636 cases (i.e. more than twice Ireland's) and 71 deaths (i.e. 5.5 times Ireland's rate). In Germany there were 1,129 deaths which would equate to 67 deaths here (i.e. 5 times Ireland's). Germany had a highly praised test, trace and isolate system but the numbers got to a point where this system just can't cope.


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## tomdublin (31 Dec 2020)

Overall German Covid deaths (around 33,000) are on a per capita basis still significantly lower than Ireland's.  Enforced quarantine, border closures and better contact tracing helped keep numbers low during the early stages of the pandemic.  But they now realise that they opened up too much in the period leading up to Christmas which has lead to a tragic spike.  Japan, South Korea and Taiwan among others have much lower casualty rates AND much milder lockdowns compared to Ireland because they effectively test, trace and isolate and we should learn from them.


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## Prosper (31 Dec 2020)

tomdublin said:


> Overall German Covid deaths (around 33,000) are on a per capita basis still significantly lower than Ireland's.


Saying that a 13% difference is "significantly lower" kind of proves my point.


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## tomdublin (31 Dec 2020)

Prosper said:


> Saying that a 13% difference is "significantly lower" kind of proves my point.


If Ireland had managed to keep casualties to a German level through better contact tracing approximately 300  people who died in Ireland would still be alive today - that seems quite significant to me.


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## Prosper (31 Dec 2020)

tomdublin said:


> approximately 300 people who died in Ireland would still be alive today


I expected you to come back with an emotional and assumptive comparison. You're making some assumptions here. Bear in mind that different countries count death due to covid differently. For example, I believe Germany counted deaths in nursing homes only where the actual cause of death was from someone who actually tested positive for covid. In Ireland we count as a covid death where the "probable" cause of death was from Covid (as recommended by the WHO). For quite a while the UK only counted deaths in hospitals in people who actually tested positive for covid within 28 days prior to death and were not attributing deaths in nursing homes to covid.


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## RedOnion (31 Dec 2020)

tomdublin said:


> Japan, South Korea and Taiwan among others have much lower casualty rates AND much milder lockdowns compared to Ireland because they effectively test, trace and isolate and we should learn from them.


I don't think it's all down to tracing.

For example, Taiwan banned all foreigners entering the country on 19th March. Anyone coming from abroad had a mandatory 14 day quarantine period, like most countries that have managed to control the virus better. In contrast here you could get a flight into Dublin airport, and jump straight onto public transport and go wherever you like.

In Taiwan they had massive amounts of data to match together to aid their tracing. The free movement of people within the EU means we didn't have that same data readily available. On top of that, the tracing has been relatively straightforward for them since April as they didn't have a single case for 250 days.

Yes, the tracing hasn't been up to standard here, but there's a lot to be said for personal responsibility too. If people had actually followed the rules properly tracing would be easier - people shouldn't have had lots of close contacts. And then you've people who don't understand what isolation / quarantine means. How many cases have we heard about where someone awaiting test results ended up going out and spreading it to other people? Or confirmed close contacts heading out and about rather than isolating? 

I'm sure that even without forced lockdown, people in the countries you've mentioned had a lot more cop on than a lot of Irish people seem to have displayed.

I doubt there are many of those countries where hundreds of people crammed into small pubs when their local club won the junior B county final? Or a hundred people show up to a wake / funeral and a feed of pints after?


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## Prosper (31 Dec 2020)

Good points. Also worth bearing in mind that these Asian countries are more used to these types of viruses (eg. SARS) and already were used to wearing masks etc. They are also more controllable societies and accept more generally curtailments on personal freedoms or habits.


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## odyssey06 (31 Dec 2020)

CLOSE CONTACTS OF confirmed cases of Covid-19 are no longer being advised to get tested for the coronavirus due to current widespread levels of infection, the HSE has said.  This is described as a “temporary measure” and close contacts are still advised to restrict movements for 14 days. 
“This step is being taken to ensure that those who are symptomatic are prioritised and receive a test as quickly as possible,” a statement from the HSE said. 









						Covid-19 close contacts no longer advised to get tested but still told to restrict movements
					

It is still “imperative” for close contacts to restrict movements and contact a GP if symptoms develop.




					www.thejournal.ie


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## Cricketer (31 Dec 2020)

Paul O Mahoney said:


> It is literally overrun.



It's not, unless people are charging into the offices from all angles, laying waste to the contact tracers.


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## odyssey06 (31 Dec 2020)

Cricketer said:


> It's not, unless people are charging into the offices from all angles, laying waste to the contact tracers.



FYP: Mutant minks are charging into the offices from all angles laying waste to the contract tracers.

_(It's 2020 would you really be shocked if this story was true!)_


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