The first use of the phrase “Contact Tracing” dates back to 1910. Merriam-Webster’s dictionary defines Contact Tracing as “the practice of identifying, notifying, and monitoring individuals who may have had close contact with a person having a confirmed or probable case of an infectious disease as a means of controlling the spread of infection.”
During the pandemic era, many individuals who contracted Covid-19 have been asked by the authorities to provide names and contact details of any person they may have come into contact with so these contacts can be asked to quarantine.
For the most part, contact tracing has ended in many countries. NBC News reported on April 26, 2022 that New York State’s “last day of COVID-19 contact tracing will be Friday, April 29 [and that] counties Tuesday began notifying people that those who test positive for COVID-19 after April 29 will not receive a text message.“
Social Media Trends as of April 27, 2022
Facebook #contacttracing: 21,000 people are posting about this
Instagram #contacttracing: 20,820 posts
TikTok #contacttracing: 14.6 million views
YouTube #contacttracing: 860 videos; 536 channels
Google Trends: contact tracing reached its peak during the week of May 10, 2020.
Sources:
castleski. “Contact tracing app concept on generic mockup smartphone for Covid-19 pandemic to trace people who have got infected by the virus.” Shutterstock.com. Standard License. Royalty-free stock vector ID: 1758976982.
“Contact tracing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. Merriam-Webster. URL: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/contact%20tracing?utm_campaign=sd&utm_medium=serp&utm_source=jsonld.
“NYSDOH ending contact tracing Friday. Here’s how to self-report case to counties.” WHEC-TV, LLC. A Hubbard Broadcasting Company. April 26, 2022. URL: https://www.whec.com/coronavirus/nysdoh-ending-contact-tracing-friday-what-counties-are-doing/6456108/.