Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) hit Wuhan, China, unexpectedly. This caused heightened surveillance. The data gave the researchers a rare opportunity to measure key metrics of disease course, transmission, and the impact of control measures. A study from Wuhan published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal on line on April 27, 2020 to track people infected with COVID-19 as well as their close contacts suggests that testing, isolating cases and contract tracing can reduce the virus spreading, favouring control of the outbreak.

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COVID-19 emerged as an epidemic in Wuhan, China in December 2019. Soon it progressed into a pandemic. The researchers noted that as of April 15, 2020, there have been 1,914,916 confirmed cases and 123,010 deaths reported worldwide. Most cases were initially confined to Hubei province in China, but there has since been substantial spread not only elsewhere in China but worldwide. Soon the global scientific community responded and described many important aspects of SARS-CoV-2 transmission and natural history. However, according to the researcher's key questions remain.

Contact tracing of children

The researchers stressed that the impact of contact tracing and isolation depends on identifying asymptomatic cases. The study confirms the findings from previous studies that children are as likely as the rest of the population to become infected, although less likely to develop severe symptoms, so should be included in contact tracing and isolation measures. It appears that this crucial factor was not considered by any one thus far.