Innovative Approaches to Improve COVID-19 Case Investigation and Contact Tracing Among Refugees, Immigrants, and Migrants: Lessons Learned from a Newly Established National Resource Center

Erin M Mann; Michelle Weinberg; Elizabeth Dawson-Hahn; Sarah K Clarke; Madison Olmsted; Nathan Bertelsen; Ridhi Arun; Megan Keaveney; Shanna Miko; Amy Kircher; Anna E Pendleton; Brett Hendel-Paterson; Shailendra Prasad; William M Stauffer

doi:10.1007/s10903-023-01508-y

Innovative Approaches to Improve COVID-19 Case Investigation and Contact Tracing Among Refugees, Immigrants, and Migrants: Lessons Learned from a Newly Established National Resource Center

J Immigr Minor Health. 2023 Oct;25(5):1211-1219. doi: 10.1007/s10903-023-01508-y. Epub 2023 Jun 7.

Authors

Erin M Mann^{1

2}, Michelle Weinberg³, Elizabeth Dawson-Hahn⁴, Sarah K Clarke⁵, Madison Olmsted⁶, Nathan Bertelsen⁷, Ridhi Arun⁸, Megan Keaveney³, Shanna Miko⁹, Amy Kircher¹⁰, Anna E Pendleton¹¹, Brett Hendel-Paterson¹², Shailendra Prasad^{9

11}, William M Stauffer^{9

11}

Affiliations

¹ National Resource Center for Refugees, Immigrants, and Migrants, University of Minnesota, 420 Delaware St SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA. mann0255@umn.edu.
² Center for Global Health and Social Responsibility, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA. mann0255@umn.edu.
³ Immigrant, Refugee and Migrant Health Branch, Division of Global Migration and Quarantine, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.
⁴ Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
⁵ International Rescue Committee, Dallas, TX, USA.
⁶ Center for State, Tribal, Local, and Territorial Support, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, St. Paul, MN, USA.
⁷ University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
⁸ IDEO.org, San Francisco, CA, USA.
⁹ National Resource Center for Refugees, Immigrants, and Migrants, University of Minnesota, 420 Delaware St SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA.
¹⁰ Strategic Partnerships and Research Collaborative, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
¹¹ Center for Global Health and Social Responsibility, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
¹² Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.

Abstract

Effective COVID-19 case investigation and contact tracing (CICT) among refugee, immigrant, and migrant (RIM) communities requires innovative approaches to address linguistic, cultural and community specific preferences. The National Resource Center for Refugees, Immigrants, and Migrants (NRC-RIM) is a CDC-funded initiative to support state and local health departments with COVID-19 response among RIM communities, including CICT. This note from the field will describe NRC-RIM and initial outcomes and lessons learned, including the use of human-centered design to develop health messaging around COVID-19 CICT; training developed for case investigators, contact tracers, and other public health professionals working with RIM community members; and promising practices and other resources related to COVID-19 CICT among RIM communities that have been implemented by health departments, health systems, or community-based organizations.

Keywords: COVID-19; Contact tracing; Immigrants; Migrants; Refugees.

MeSH terms

COVID-19*
Contact Tracing
Emigrants and Immigrants*
Humans
Refugees*
Transients and Migrants*

Abstract

MeSH terms

Grants and funding