Italian Technological Innovation and Digitalization Minister, Paola Pisano shows her phone, featuring a contact tracing app that Italy launched nationwide in its efforts to contain COVID-19’s spread, during an interview with The Associated Press in Rome, Thursday, June 11, 2020.
Italian Technological Innovation and Digitalization Minister, Paola Pisano shows her phone, featuring a contact tracing app that Italy launched nationwide in its efforts to contain COVID-19’s spread, during an interview with The Associated Press in Rome, Thursday, June 11, 2020. Domenico Stinellis, Associated Press
Herb Scribner
By Herb Scribner
View Comments

The U.S. is facing a contact tracing shortage, prompting states to increase their search for people who want to help with tracking those with the coronavirus.

What is a contact tracer?

  • The COVID-19 pandemic has created an entirely new position for people — contact tracing. “Those are the people who call you when you’ve been exposed to someone with COVID-19 and walk you through the next steps,” according to Marketplace.
  • The U.S. may need between 100,000 to 300,000 more contact tracers, according to Marketplace.

How do you become one?

  • It depends on the state. Some states want you to have a high school diploma. Other states require health care experience, according to Marketplace.

Contact tracing apps can help

  • Countries across the world have looked to create contact tracing apps, where people can input whether they’ve had COVID-19 and who around them might have been infected.
  • According to Reuters, Germany announced that its contact tracing app might be launched within the week.
  • The United States has seen “slower” progress, per The Verge. People have expressed concerns about privacy and accuracy when it comes to creating those apps.
Join the Conversation
Looking for comments?
Find comments in their new home! Click the buttons at the top or within the article to view them — or use the button below for quick access.