Chevron Left
Back to COVID-19 Contact Tracing

Learner Reviews & Feedback for COVID-19 Contact Tracing by Johns Hopkins University

4.9
stars
94,966 ratings

About the Course

The COVID-19 crisis has created an unprecedented need for contact tracing across the country, requiring thousands of people to learn key skills quickly. The job qualifications for contact tracing positions differ throughout the country and the world, with some new positions open to individuals with a high school diploma or equivalent. In this introductory course, students will learn about the science of SARS-CoV-2 , including the infectious period, the clinical presentation of COVID-19, and the evidence for how SARS-CoV-2 is transmitted from person-to-person and why contact tracing can be such an effective public health intervention. Students will learn about how contact tracing is done, including how to build rapport with cases, identify their contacts, and support both cases and their contacts to stop transmission in their communities. The course will also cover several important ethical considerations around contact tracing, isolation, and quarantine. Finally, the course will identify some of the most common barriers to contact tracing efforts -- along with strategies to overcome them....

Top reviews

JC

May 25, 2020

This course was amazing and very informative. I, now, have clear and concise knowledge about being an effective Contact Tracer, and I'm looking forward to putting my newly-attained skills to the test.

NN

Apr 12, 2021

presented in easily digestable snippets,really wonderful course,i loved the part about building rapport and communication startegies because i can honestly see them being applied in different aspects.

Filter by:

276 - 300 of 10,000 Reviews for COVID-19 Contact Tracing

By Monecia S

•

May 26, 2020

Dr. Gurley has a great instructor voice and speaks in a natural conversational voice. She adds value to the slides based on her professional knowledge. The course gives you the opportunity to assess your knowledge through quizzes throughout the modules.

What I appreciated as a student was the ability to see the time investment for each learning section and quiz, therefore, I knew where I could take breaks or if I could continue on for another 15 minutes before I walked my dog.

Near the final, I felt very confident based on my successful quizzes and the feedback provided. I passed the first time above 85 percent and took the final again the same day, to pass above 90 percent.

I highly recommend this course.

By Barbara S

•

May 18, 2020

I thoroughly enjoyed this course . It is amazing how much information I learned from this course. It is not an easy course, but it is practical and extremely informative. I feel confident that I have all the necessary skills required to become a contact tracer. I now need to be accepted and then I will be able to experience the challenges that face a contact tracer. I want to be able to contribute my skills to aid in successfully decreasing the number of cases by providing comprehensive contact tracing. I am a retired Nurse and Case Manager and want to use these skills again. I highly recommend this course to anyone interested in becoming a contact tracer. Thrilled that I have passed this course.

By Grace C

•

May 15, 2020

I enjoyed taking this course on contact tracing. It has increased my knowledge and understanding of covid-19 and, especially, the value of employing contact tracing to help stop the spread of covid-19. Studying how to effectively interact with people who become cases and also their contacts, I appreciate the tools I have learned to support them. I understand about quarantine and was already able to share this information with someone yesterday. Thank you for the opportunity to take this course free of charge. I appreciate it and intend to pursue work as a contact trace person who will contribute in the greater community efforts to curtail covid-19 in the US. Thank you, again. Sincerely, Grace Callahan

By Michele A S

•

May 17, 2020

Excellent Covid-19 Contact Tracing course! The instructor, Dr. Gurley was excellent with her explanation of the course material from the history of Covid-19 and the basics, calculating isolation and quarantine, the job of a contact tracer, various interview tips for effective communication and resources links for the contact tracer. Wow, such much valuable and useful information all in one place and so well organized. I enjoyed the course tremendously and couldn't wait to get on to the next module which helped me to expedite my learning way ahead of schedule and finished in a short time. I now feel quite confident of my ability to work as a contact tracer thanks to this course. Thanks, Dr. Gurley!

By Donald C

•

Jun 13, 2020

The COVD-19 Contract Tracing course was a great course. It was an arduous mental journey, yet easy to understand from the beginning to end. I learned a great deal in which I feel that all should take and learn. We all fear what we do not know and understand. However, once we learn and begin to know and understand, we then conquer our fears. This course helped me define what COVID-19 (SARS-COV-2) is and put it into perspective, how to be an effective contact Tracer, and how to communicate it effectively with "Listening to others", "Understanding others", "Assertive to others" and "Effective Communication" as we journey through this pandemic. Thank you Emily for a job well done! My hat's off to you.

By E J H

•

Jun 7, 2020

This course was very informative. I learned things that I didn't know and needed to know. I am glad I took the time to complete it. I thought it would be boring in the beginning, but the instructor was very knowledgable and just made me stick with it. I would recommend that even if someone is not interested in working in the field of Contact Tracing, this course would help them in know how to address situations accurately, to build rapport among friends and family, and could even help to stop the spread of COVID-19. It is my hope to share what I have learned with others and since the course is free, it is a great incentive to get some good education. Thank you for sharing and making this available.

By Jessielle R

•

May 25, 2020

First, this course allows me to be knowledgeable about the current pandemic that occurs, COVID-19. Very informative on what it is, how contagious it is, the way it infects people, how to identify, and how to be a better contact tracer to help the community fights this health crisis.

Second, tips and guidelines are given in different situation. Be able to understand the value of rapport whenever having a call to the sick person and who have been in contact with them.

Third, a well informed technologies that offers assistance to a contact tracer are also an eye opener that everybody is doing our very best to help each other. Like this course!

A big thank you for making this free and available! Salute!

By Laura E

•

Sep 24, 2020

Very informative for anyone interested in learing more about COVID-19. Interesting to learn what a Contact Tracer's role is with regards to infectious diseases. What to expect when or if someone calls and why it is important or imperative to disclose information to minimize the spread. Helpful to have the vignette examples. Helpful to have questions throughout, aides in knowing I am processing and retaining information. Really liked the opportunity to take notes within each section of the modules. The instructor was easy to listen to, knowledgeable, and clear with information being relayed. The power point will be a very helpful tool. Thank you for this educational opportunity.

By Dania S

•

May 26, 2020

You keep it interesting somehow while helping to clearly express the relevant information. I was surprised to actually enjoy the course. I will debate you on the question I got wrong however.

( In your role as a contact tracer, you will ask cases about private information. "Imagine that you are interviewing Mr. Lawrence, a 45-year-old computer programmer. Examples of relevant and private information you might ask him could include:

You said relevant AND private, not Relevant OR private.

Whether they visited other people is not BOTH relevant and private, Although it might lead to private information.

Still thoroughly enjoyed the course and thank you for providing such a needed resource!

By Patrick M

•

May 22, 2020

Fantastic intro course to contact tracing and learning about the entire process. Until recently this information was outside the scope of my knowledge base and I'm thankful that this course is offered. This course is great not only for those that plan or are already pursuing work as a contact tracer. The information contained within this course gives a great summation of topics including details about the virus, symptoms, incubation period, communication strategies, contact tracing tools and many others. I highly recommend this course for anyone pursuing work in contact tracing or those just wanting to learn more about preventing the spread of this or other viruses in the future.

By Sandra J P

•

Jul 30, 2020

Thank you, Dr. Emily! This course was so well done and thorough. Your pace of speech was pretty phenomenal and you covered some very difficult issues in a super clear manner.

One comment about the rating of each module: You may want to ask people to time themselves to get a clearer picture of how much time was spent on each one. I started and stopped mine a number of times so felt I was just guessing. Also the words used to rate the class didn't feel quite "on" to capture the feeling: ie: large leap between easy and difficult. You presented info so well that it really made the info quite easy but you covered some nicely complex subjects.

I can't thank you enough!

Be well!

By Christina A

•

Jul 8, 2020

The Contact Tracing course transcripts, videos, practice quizzes and downloadable presentation slides support a clear, concise and extensive foundation for this critical area of study. The course is being regularly updated to reflect the dynamic environment, as our understanding of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID 19) rapidly expands. This course equips the participant with both the scientific and humanistic tools to educate and secure information from cases and contacts through building rapport. An added benefit is that the skills learned will help generate confidence in public health and government/community services at a time when they are most needed. Thank you, Coursera and Johns Hopkins!

By Judith S

•

May 31, 2020

I loved this course. It gives you specifics, details, the big picture, vignettes, some solutions, questions to ask and phrases to help with your communication. I understand more than I did before I took this course. I feel I am prepared to be a contact tracer, as well as follow my local protocol. There are many circumstances that could make this difficult. I appreciate all the phases and information given. I will need to review and ingrain it more. This is fact and science based and I appreciate the time and attention given to this course. This is vital for the health of the cases, contacts, families, communities, states and our country. Thank you for making this available!

By Kimmie A

•

Jun 1, 2020

This was a comprehensive and thought-provoking course which enlightened me to many of the technicalities of this virus I otherwise do not believe I would have learned. This program makes perfect sense as so many either do know have enough knowledge to do the correct thing, or, they may be a bit resistant due to not believing it will affect themselves or those around them. In the grand scheme of things, 14 days of isolation or quarantine to save the lives of many due to spreading the virus is a very small price to pay. Think of it as paying it forward...we were given an opportunity to keep others healthy and are sharing this with others to play their part to do the same.

By Sherrita L S

•

Jun 29, 2020

After 23 years in the Customer Service and Hospitality a a bartender and entertainer, I didn't feel that I could safely return to my prior feild. In my search for new career options, I was watching MSNBC and Dr. Gurley was being interviewed about COVID-19 and the urgent need for Contact Tracers. I immediately began to research this program for training. As a mother and grandmother the feild of Public Health has opened up a new door for me. I am excited to advance into an essential career and it began with this course. I extend my deepest gratitude to Dr. Gurelry and John hopkins University for providing this amazing oppurtunity. This course in Contact Tracing is the best!

By Alfred B

•

May 31, 2020

I found this course to be very intuitive. The process and flow of the course was very detailed. Which made learning a want, instead of a need. I understand the role of a contact tracer and the importance to be thorough and precise. Keep detailed data for others to follow up on. Being able to close the window of infection rate between contacts. Remembering, these are people. Who are going thru a pandemic. A crisis not see in America for over 100 years. Must speak to them with compassion, understanding and humility. Goal to stop one chain of infection, to save lives. Hopefully we can get a handle on the spread of the virus in our community. Stay safe, Stay home, Save lives.

By Nelson S

•

May 29, 2020

I wish I knew of this course at the beginning of this pandemic. The information is not necessarily new in comparison to what has been put out there by the media, yet it's definitely more detailed and comes from a respected institution of experts on the matter. This course has also admittedly changed my perspective on the decisions that are being made by our community's leaders and helps me better support and understand the steps needed to be made in order to effectively combat the spread of this virus. I would recommend this course even if someone is not looking to become a contact tracer (which I am not, but this course even makes the job sound interesting so who knows).

By Lisa G

•

Jul 19, 2020

This course was SUPER helpful for me, as a recent International Medical Graduate! I could help around some of the people around me, with the information gathered about infectious periods, etc... It was extremely comprehensive, provided a lot of details, and all information was precise and concise. What I liked most is that Dr. Emily Gurley was able to portray everything in a clear way. Not only did she go and repeat certain key concepts, but she also reviewed/summarized these often, giving us numerous examples and videos. This Contact Tracing course was truly great and there are SO many things I could refresh about COVID-19, as well as gather a handful of new knowledge.

By Jacqueline A

•

Jul 19, 2020

I enjoyed this course so much! I especially enjoyed the challenge of the quizzes and the final exam, because it's where I really felt the challenge and I enjoy challenges. The assessments challenge you to think about how you will actually help infected people effectively with the tools and skills being taught to you and this program was designed to be able to use all this knowledge to effectively control and end COVID-19, our government will definitely benefit from this to combat this new virus. I highly recommend this program to anyone who wants to help make a difference in this world and to help our country and the world to return to normalcy from this deadly virus.

By Darco A

•

Jul 26, 2020

Dear Dr. Emily Gurley,

Thank you very much for a interesting course about the COVID-19 Contact Tracing.

I really liked the parts where you included the video's and "behaviour" we must show when performing a contact tracing. We really need to pay attention and love to become a good Contact Tracer because we are in a period where there are to many people in the world who needs us.

This pandemic will end at a moment. It will depends on each of us, after, to do not forget this sad moment of our life and world and keep continuing being helpful and communicative, more empathetic.

Things will get better if we help us !

Kind regards,

Darco Azarmaneche

By Dr. M K

•

Jun 19, 2020

It was a wonderful experience to take this course. It is very informative, little bit difficult but every essential topics and tools have been described in this course and if followed it will really help to break the chain of COVID-19 infection in all countries. Since the out burst of COVID-19 infection i have taken up almost 35 to 36 online training and learning programs of different universities but this course is very unique and one of its kind. In every module you learn some thing new and exiting. Thanks & Regards to all those who have taken pain to make this course. IAs a doctor i had a wonderful experience through out this course.

By Heather C

•

May 15, 2020

Thank you to John Hopkins University and especially Dr. Emily Gurley for creating, offering and thoroughly teaching this course. The information given here about COVID-19 is very detailed, easily understandable and helpful. I am a bartender in New Orleans LA, as many know, our community was heavily infected. As we move into Phase I of reopening, like many other areas around the country, I felt that it was pertinent and responsible to take this course. I encourage everyone to take this course because it will help you understand this disease, the pandemic, recovery and limit the spread of COVID-19.

By Floyd D B I

•

Jun 6, 2020

An invaluable tool for someone who is seeking, or is about to enter, a position as a Contact Tracer, or for those who are interested in one of the processes that will be used to combat the COVID-19 Pandemic, this Contact Tracing Course has to be one of the best sources of information available. While the course is obviously not designed to create an expert, it certainly helps to form a foundation toward a solid understanding.

I'd like to express my endearing gratitude to Johns Hopkins, and to all of those who are involved in making this course available at no charge.

Floyd III - Chesapeake VA

By William M

•

May 24, 2020

This was my first online course with Coursera. It was excellent and very important regarding the COVID-19 effort to trace the pathways of this virus within our communities with individuals directly impacted. John Hopkins University and the work they are providing will be key to the data and analysis of data by which COVID-19 migrates through human interaction can be mapped, assist people infected, support and break the chain of spread. I hope that my involvement as a contact tracer will add to this effect to safeguard and reduce the spread of COVID-19. Thank you for this opportunity to help.

By Molly C S

•

Jul 21, 2020

Having only been introduced to SAR-CoV-2/Covid-19 in the recent months; lack of government leadership, confusion, and chaos developed a desire me to to learn more. Contact Tracing appears to be critical for a positive direction forward to gain control of this global pandemic. Taking a course such as this perhaps provides some type of honor for all the lives that have been lost. I learned so much in such a short time. The modules were very concise, clear, and straight forward. I can see myself working with cases and contacts with confidence I gleaned in Dr Emily Gurley's excellent course!