Local initiative supports case isolation and contact tracing during a SARS-CoV-2 surge in summer 2020: a community case study in Antwerp, Belgium
In Antwerp, Belgium's second largest city, a COVID-19 surge in July 2020 predominantly affected neighborhoods with high ethnic diversity. Local volunteers reacted and set up an initiative to support contact tracing and self-isolation. We describe the origin, implementation, and transfer of this...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-05-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Public Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1000617/full |
| _version_ | 1827953728542474240 |
|---|---|
| author | Kristien Verdonck Stefan Morreel Jef Vanhamel Bea Vuylsteke Christiana Nöstlinger Marie Laga Josefien van Olmen Josefien van Olmen |
| author_facet | Kristien Verdonck Stefan Morreel Jef Vanhamel Bea Vuylsteke Christiana Nöstlinger Marie Laga Josefien van Olmen Josefien van Olmen |
| author_sort | Kristien Verdonck |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In Antwerp, Belgium's second largest city, a COVID-19 surge in July 2020 predominantly affected neighborhoods with high ethnic diversity. Local volunteers reacted and set up an initiative to support contact tracing and self-isolation. We describe the origin, implementation, and transfer of this local initiative, based on semi-structured interviews of five key informants and document review. The initiative started in July 2020, when family physicians signaled a surge of SARS-CoV-2 infections among people of Moroccan descent. Family physicians feared that the mainstream contact tracing organized by the Flemish government through centralized call centers would not be efficient in halting this outbreak. They anticipated language barriers, mistrust, inability to investigate case clusters, and practical problems with self-isolation. It took 11 days to start up the initiative, with logistical support from the province and city of Antwerp. Family physicians referred SARS-CoV-2-infected index cases with complex needs (including language and social situation) to the initiative. Volunteer COVID coaches contacted cases, got a contextualized understanding of their living conditions, assisted with backward and forward contact tracing, offered support during self-isolation, and checked if infected contacts also needed support. Interviewed coaches were positive about the quality of the interaction: they described extensive open conversations with cases. The coaches reported back to referring family physicians and coordinators of the local initiative, who took additional action if necessary. Although interactions with affected communities were perceived as good, respondents considered that the number of referrals by family physicians was too low to have a meaningful impact on the outbreak. In September 2020, the Flemish government assigned the tasks of local contact tracing and case support to the local health system level (primary care zones). While doing so, they adopted elements of this local initiative, such as COVID coaches, tracing system, and extended questionnaires to talk with cases and contacts. This community case study illustrates how urgency can motivate people to action yet support from people with access to resources and coordination capacity is vital for effective organization and transition to long-term sustainability. From their conception, health policies should consider adaptability of new interventions to local contexts. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T14:18:05Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0d9c45f6b3b743a8887fa281f1a5d723 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-2565 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T14:18:05Z |
| publishDate | 2023-05-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-0d9c45f6b3b743a8887fa281f1a5d7232023-05-05T04:44:17ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652023-05-011110.3389/fpubh.2023.10006171000617Local initiative supports case isolation and contact tracing during a SARS-CoV-2 surge in summer 2020: a community case study in Antwerp, BelgiumKristien Verdonck0Stefan Morreel1Jef Vanhamel2Bea Vuylsteke3Christiana Nöstlinger4Marie Laga5Josefien van Olmen6Josefien van Olmen7Department of Public Health, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, BelgiumDepartment of Family Medicine and Population Health, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, BelgiumDepartment of Public Health, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, BelgiumDepartment of Public Health, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, BelgiumDepartment of Public Health, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, BelgiumDepartment of Public Health, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, BelgiumDepartment of Public Health, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, BelgiumDepartment of Family Medicine and Population Health, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, BelgiumIn Antwerp, Belgium's second largest city, a COVID-19 surge in July 2020 predominantly affected neighborhoods with high ethnic diversity. Local volunteers reacted and set up an initiative to support contact tracing and self-isolation. We describe the origin, implementation, and transfer of this local initiative, based on semi-structured interviews of five key informants and document review. The initiative started in July 2020, when family physicians signaled a surge of SARS-CoV-2 infections among people of Moroccan descent. Family physicians feared that the mainstream contact tracing organized by the Flemish government through centralized call centers would not be efficient in halting this outbreak. They anticipated language barriers, mistrust, inability to investigate case clusters, and practical problems with self-isolation. It took 11 days to start up the initiative, with logistical support from the province and city of Antwerp. Family physicians referred SARS-CoV-2-infected index cases with complex needs (including language and social situation) to the initiative. Volunteer COVID coaches contacted cases, got a contextualized understanding of their living conditions, assisted with backward and forward contact tracing, offered support during self-isolation, and checked if infected contacts also needed support. Interviewed coaches were positive about the quality of the interaction: they described extensive open conversations with cases. The coaches reported back to referring family physicians and coordinators of the local initiative, who took additional action if necessary. Although interactions with affected communities were perceived as good, respondents considered that the number of referrals by family physicians was too low to have a meaningful impact on the outbreak. In September 2020, the Flemish government assigned the tasks of local contact tracing and case support to the local health system level (primary care zones). While doing so, they adopted elements of this local initiative, such as COVID coaches, tracing system, and extended questionnaires to talk with cases and contacts. This community case study illustrates how urgency can motivate people to action yet support from people with access to resources and coordination capacity is vital for effective organization and transition to long-term sustainability. From their conception, health policies should consider adaptability of new interventions to local contexts.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1000617/fullCOVID-19community case studiescase managementcontact tracingsource identification |
| spellingShingle | Kristien Verdonck Stefan Morreel Jef Vanhamel Bea Vuylsteke Christiana Nöstlinger Marie Laga Josefien van Olmen Josefien van Olmen Local initiative supports case isolation and contact tracing during a SARS-CoV-2 surge in summer 2020: a community case study in Antwerp, Belgium Frontiers in Public Health COVID-19 community case studies case management contact tracing source identification |
| title | Local initiative supports case isolation and contact tracing during a SARS-CoV-2 surge in summer 2020: a community case study in Antwerp, Belgium |
| title_full | Local initiative supports case isolation and contact tracing during a SARS-CoV-2 surge in summer 2020: a community case study in Antwerp, Belgium |
| title_fullStr | Local initiative supports case isolation and contact tracing during a SARS-CoV-2 surge in summer 2020: a community case study in Antwerp, Belgium |
| title_full_unstemmed | Local initiative supports case isolation and contact tracing during a SARS-CoV-2 surge in summer 2020: a community case study in Antwerp, Belgium |
| title_short | Local initiative supports case isolation and contact tracing during a SARS-CoV-2 surge in summer 2020: a community case study in Antwerp, Belgium |
| title_sort | local initiative supports case isolation and contact tracing during a sars cov 2 surge in summer 2020 a community case study in antwerp belgium |
| topic | COVID-19 community case studies case management contact tracing source identification |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1000617/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT kristienverdonck localinitiativesupportscaseisolationandcontacttracingduringasarscov2surgeinsummer2020acommunitycasestudyinantwerpbelgium AT stefanmorreel localinitiativesupportscaseisolationandcontacttracingduringasarscov2surgeinsummer2020acommunitycasestudyinantwerpbelgium AT jefvanhamel localinitiativesupportscaseisolationandcontacttracingduringasarscov2surgeinsummer2020acommunitycasestudyinantwerpbelgium AT beavuylsteke localinitiativesupportscaseisolationandcontacttracingduringasarscov2surgeinsummer2020acommunitycasestudyinantwerpbelgium AT christiananostlinger localinitiativesupportscaseisolationandcontacttracingduringasarscov2surgeinsummer2020acommunitycasestudyinantwerpbelgium AT marielaga localinitiativesupportscaseisolationandcontacttracingduringasarscov2surgeinsummer2020acommunitycasestudyinantwerpbelgium AT josefienvanolmen localinitiativesupportscaseisolationandcontacttracingduringasarscov2surgeinsummer2020acommunitycasestudyinantwerpbelgium AT josefienvanolmen localinitiativesupportscaseisolationandcontacttracingduringasarscov2surgeinsummer2020acommunitycasestudyinantwerpbelgium |