Table 3.
Key findings and implications for the public and policy makers of our article.
| Key findings | Implications for the public and policy makers |
|---|---|
| The adoption of CT—even if low—always helps to dampen the spread of the epidemic, and a higher adoption rate of CT is more effective thereby | Provide a CT solution in case of an epidemic |
| Aim for a high adoption rate of the CT solution by informing the public about the necessity of a high adoption rate | |
| Very short PDRs are not suitable for CT in the case of the COVID-19 epidemic | Use proximity detection techniques with a range of at least the distance of disease spread, depending on the epidemic. For COVID-19, technologies such as Bluetooth Low Energy, GPS, or QR-codes are suitable |
| Usage stops can severely impact the effectiveness of CT in the long run, especially for wide PDRs | Clarify the probability of false positive contacts, and the likelihood of usage stops following it |
| If the potential for usage stops after false-positive quarantines is generally high in society (e.g., larger than 25%), consider using a combination of proximity detection techniques (i.e., wide range and medium range techniques) adapted to the epidemic situation and society to keep the number of false-positive quarantines and following usage stops low | |
| If the potential for usage stops after false-positive quarantines is generally low in society, consider using a wide range proximity detection technique to detect as many infectious contacts as possible and thereby minimize the number of unquarantined infectious individuals | |
| The ideal approach for CT depends on many different factors. The example of the case of Germany shows that immature CT solutions may be rejected by the society, and salvaging public’s interest is challenging | Though the selection of the CT mechanism has to pass off quickly, different approaches need to be thoughtfully considered and the most promising should be chosen based on multiple factors (e.g., transmissibility of the infectious disease, mobility of individuals, closeness of contacts, acceptable duration of quarantine, acceptance of false positive contacts) |
| Factors influencing the effectiveness of CT highly depend on cultural and societal aspects found in individual regions. Simulation methods can help to design and evaluate fitting CT mechanisms quickly and at the beginnings of an epidemic |