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

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).