Contact tracing programs have to work with local communities to be successful

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Tracking the spread of COVID-19 could help fight the pandemic — but a lot of people aren’t answering the phone when contact tracers call. To gain the public’s trust, experts say officials should work with community members when they develop contact tracing programs. That’s especially important for poor communities and communities of color, which may be suspicious of the health care system in general, even as they’re facing high rates of coronavirus infection.

“You’re building a new system on top of historic mistrust. You may be trying to reach people who have never accessed primary care, people who are worried about anything related to the government, or who may have mixed citizenship families,” says Denise Smith, executive director at...

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