Contact Tracing for Infectious Disease

In order to maintain public health, contact tracing is a necessary tool that identifies people who have recently been in contact with someone who has contracted an infectious disease.

If someone tests positive for an infectious disease, they should be asked to give a list of people and places they’ve made contact with during the contagious stage of their illness.

The Department of Health will then contact anyone on this list to explain the situation and what their next steps should be. This could include quarantine. Here’s what you need to know about contact tracing and what a potential text message or email may look like.

Technology

• The South Dakota Department of Health will provide secure web-based questionnaires to aid in the contact tracing process.
• If you tested positive for an infectious disease, you may receive a health assessment questionnaire that asks about your health and those you may have been in close contact with.
• It is important to be forthcoming as the information gathered is vital to stopping the spread of disease.
• Meanwhile, the people you identified as close contacts may receive notification from the SD DOH asking about their health. They will also receive guidance on testing and treatment.
• Links to questionnaires will come via email or text message.
• Some individuals will receive a phone call if a mobile phone number or email address is not reported to the SD DOH.

Security and Safety Notes

• Contact tracing automated email assessments from the South Dakota Department of Health will come from sddoh@qemailserver.com.
• Contact tracers will NEVER ask for your social security number, bank information, or credit card number.
• Information gathered during the contact tracing process is confidential.