Contact Tracing
Contact tracing is the process of identifying people who may have come into contact with an individual who has an infectious disease like COVID-19. Contact tracing helps us better understand disease transmission, prevent new infections, and slow the spread of COVID-19 by providing isolation guidance and resources to Marylanders.
If you test positive or are exposed to COVID-19 you may receive a phone call from MD COVID (240-466-4488) or a text message from 51454 with a link to complete the Contact Tracing Web Survey.
To speak with a contact tracer, call the state contact tracing call center at (240) 466-4488 or (800) 559-6410.
COVID symptoms?
Get tested and notify your contacts if you’re positive. Talk to your doctor or a healthcare provider immediately to see if COVID treatments are right for you.
As Marylanders start to return to doing the things we’ve missed since the pandemic began, we need to do as much as we can to continue to stop COVID-19 from spreading. While vaccines are the best path forward to ending the pandemic, testing and contact tracing are still important to protect the most vulnerable and unvaccinated among us.
If you have COVID symptoms, get tested. If you test positive, notify your contacts. Contact your doctor immediately to see if COVID oral medication, or monoclonal antibodies, are right for you.
Answer the call
If you see “MD COVID”, (240) 466-4488 or a text from 51454 on your phone, answer the call or complete the web survey.
It’s one of our public health professionals calling with important news about your test result or potential exposure to COVID-19. Please, cooperate and help contact tracers by answering all the questions they ask. Contact tracers will provide guidance and help you access resources.
A contact tracer will never ask you for your social security number, financial or bank account information, or personal details unrelated to COVID-19. They will not ask for your passwords. They will not ask for money or payment. They will ask for verification of your date of birth, address, and any other phone numbers you may have.
If you recently tested positive, instead of a phone call you may receive a text or email with a link to complete the Contact Tracing Web Survey. This survey is much like the one you would complete over the phone with a contact tracer and will provide you with additional guidance and resources upon completion. In addition to completing the survey, let your close contacts know they were exposed to COVID-19. For more information about the Contact Tracing Web Survey, check out the Contact Tracing FAQs.
Contact Tracing for “At-Home” COVID-19 Tests
COVID-19 self-tests are one of many risk-reduction measures, along with vaccination, masking, and physical distancing, that protect you and others by reducing the chances of spreading COVID. Sometimes a self-test is also called a “home-test” or an “at-home test.” Self-tests are available either by prescription or over-the-counter in a pharmacy or retail store without a prescription.
If you test positive using an at-home test, you should communicate your results to your healthcare provider and let your close contacts know they were exposed to COVID-19.
To initiate the contact tracing process, including receiving work or school excuse and release letters, you can report your positive test results either through the mobile app associated with your at-home test, or through the Maryland COVID Positive At-Home Test Report Portal. Log in on the portal’s home page to submit a report. If you do not have login information, you may register to create an account.
Contact Tracing Testimonials
Contact Tracers: An Oral History
Thousands of Marylanders have answered the call to become contact tracers since 2020, offering resources and support to nearly one million people with COVID and helping to slow the spread of the pandemic. Here are some of their stories.
Todd’s Story
Watching his 7-week-old son struggle to recover from COVID-19 was one of the most difficult moments of Todd’s life. The burden of knowing he had infected his son weighed heavily on him.
Both Todd and his son have recovered from COVID-19. And Todd is especially thankful for the contact tracers who gave him the opportunity to protect his community and help prevent further spread of COVID-19.
Dr. LaRue’s Story
As a health care provider, Dr. LaRue puts her life on the line daily for her patients. When she was diagnosed with COVID-19 in March, she knew how important it was to slow the spread throughout her immigrant community.
Dr. LaRue believes it is critical to answer the call from MD COVID and provide the details needed to help slow the spread.
