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Learning about the effectiveness of contact tracing from when it failed – a natural experiment

Learning about the effectiveness of contact tracing from when it failed – a natural experiment

30/2020 Thiemo Fetzer and Thomas Graeber
policy briefing, public policy

30/2020 Thiemo Fetzer and Thomas Graeber

Due to a technical error at Public Health England, at least 15,841 individuals who tested positive for COVID-19 between 20 September and 2 October had not been referred to the national contact tracing system on 3 October. The data glitch created a “natural experiment” that allows us to evaluate the effect of contact tracing.

Public Policy