Tailoring Messages for Cross-Cultural Communication: Recommendations for COVID-19 Case Investigators and Contact Tracers   [open pdf - 231KB]

From the Introduction: "Case investigators and contact tracers must understand and adapt to the culture of people with COVID 19 [coronavirus disease 2019] and their close contacts to conduct effective interviews and follow-up. 'Culture' refers to the learned and shared behavior of a community of people who interact with one another. A person's culture may be influenced by a several factors, including those listed in the image below. Culture helps shape a person's values, relationships, and understanding of the world around them. For example, some cultures may have different attitudes or beliefs about COVID-19 transmission, vaccination or treatment Culturp may affect a person's willingness to identify close contacts or provide a description of those contacts. It may also affect how person understands and communicates their symptoms, or influence their beliefs about authority figures, healthcare professionals, and public health."