New York’s plan for taming the coronavirus hinges on taking a time-tested practice to an extraordinary level: hiring an “army” of people to try to trace everyone who might be infected.
While several nations have mounted huge efforts to get ahead of the virus by identifying people who might have been exposed, New York state faces special challenges because infections are already rampant. More than 270,000 New Yorkers already have tested positive.
New York City, which has its own disease detectives, could expand to 5,000 or even 10,000 tracers, Mayor Bill de Blasio said. “Yes, it’s really hard. It’s not perfect,” said Frieden, president and chief executive officer of Resolve to Save Lives. “Some cases will be missed, some context will be missed. But it can make a big difference, and it can help us get out sooner and safer.”
Experts envision New York’s force relying on longstanding sleuthing methods, but with better data systems and technology. Officials are taking a look at whether cell phone apps can help with status check-ins. Frieden said New York could follow the lead of Singapore and employ video calls to help establish human bonds.
De Blasio said this week the caseload is still too big and testing capacity too limited to make a “test and trace” strategy workable, and experts agree the number of new cases needs to come down for effective tracing.
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