Digital Tools to Expand COVID-19 Testing in Exposed Individuals in Cameroon

Summary

According to the WHO, contact tracing - along with robust testing, isolation, and care of cases is a key strategy for interrupting chains of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and reducing mortality associated with COVID-19. Contact tracing, however, has a number of challenges. These include incomplete identification of contacts, inefficiencies in paper-based reporting systems, complex data management requirements, and delays in the identification of contacts and testing of contacts. In many settings, contact tracing has proven to be too resource-intensive to implement at scale, especially with higher levels of community transmission, highlighting the need for more efficient contact tracing approaches. Digital tools afford the possibility of strengthening contact tracing for COVID-19, in a more efficient way. However, there is limited evidence of the effectiveness and impact of these tools in the COVID-19 response, including contact tracing.

This study proposes to compare the cascade of care between two strategies for COVID-19 contact tracing of SARS-CoV-2 infected index patients in Cameroon. In one strategy (intervention), the health facilities and health district testing units will implement contact tracing using a digital tool developed to support the tracing and testing of contacts (addition of a digital contact tracing module to the main platform for COVID-19 testing in Cameroon (Mamal Pro app)). This strategy will be compared to the standard contact tracing process (control), based on the current routine approach (use of the Mamal Pro application without the digital contact tracing module).

Conditions

• COVID-19

Interventions

OTHER

Digital based contact tracing

* Listing of contacts by SARS-CoV-2 positive individuals in Mamal Pro app + verification and validation by a health care worker. * Immediate access to the contact list in Mamal Pro once validated by the health care worker. * Contacts are immediately notified by text message automatically sent to all contacts with phone numbers and later called by the HCWs responsible for carrying out the contact tracing at the district level. * Contacts will be invited to go to the nearest testing facilities/units to get tested. * Those who are unable or refuse to come for testing are followed up by phone for 10 days for the occurrence of COVID-19 symptoms. * Information about the contact tracing process during communication with contacts are recorded in Mamal Pro digital contact tracing module.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Find

  collaborator OTHER

• Cameroon Ministry of Public Health

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Boris Tchakounte Youngui, MD, MPH · Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation

• Godfrey Woelk, PhD, MCOMMH · Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2022-10-18

Primary Completion

2023-03-31

Completion

2023-07-30

Countries

• Cameroon

Study Locations