Update: Passive Surveillance Starting August 2022
Beginning June 1, 2022, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is transitioning its COVID-19 case investigation and contact tracing (CICT) efforts to a passive surveillance model. Rather than actively calling cases and eliciting contacts, IDPH will send automated SMS messages to all COVID-19 positive cases to connect individuals with resources, as well as provide guidance on isolation and close contact notification. Additionally, IDPH will rely on local health departments to prioritize any remaining in-person case investigation by jurisdiction.
The Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) is following the lead of our state and federal partners to transition away from universal CICT by July 31, 2022. At this time, the University of Chicago Medicine has no further plan on restarting CICT efforts. For up to date information on CDPH COVID-19 guidelines, please visit the City of Chicago's COVID-19 Response Center.
About Case Investigation Contact Tracing (CICT)
Contact tracing is the work to find and care for people who may have had contact with an infectious person. This is a way to control the spread of an infectious disease like COVID-19.
Contact tracing involves two steps.
- Collect information from persons who have tested positive for COVID-19 and let anyone they have been in contact with know they may have been exposed to COVID-19.
- Help people who need to be in isolation figure out how to isolate themselves from others and connect them to resources to get tested.
If you are contacted by our contact tracing team, we may ask about:
- Symptoms and health status
- Exposure to people with COVID-19
- Where you work
- Where you live and who you live with
- Names and contact information of people you have recently been in contact with so we can let them know they may have been exposed to COVID-19. (Your name will not be shared with those you came in contact with.)
Everything you talk about is private. It will only be shared with those involved in your care.
We will not ask you for:
- Social security number
- Bank account information or credit card numbers
- Money
UChicago Medicine’s contact tracing efforts is led by its Urban Health Initiative (UHI) team. UHI is UChicago Medicine’s community health division that works with community members and partners to improve the health of persons living on the South Side of Chicago. Our contact tracing work is also supported by University of Chicago faculty and UChicago Medicine's Infection Control Team.
For more information on contact tracing:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Contact Tracing
For more information on COVID-19:
UChicago Medicine COVID-19 Information and Resources
