From tearful interviews to summoning ambulances, contact tracing ‘takes an emotional and psychological toll'

CHICAGO — It’s not unusual for people to cry on the phone when they talk with contact tracers. Often, people vent to them about their fears, such as missing work because of a COVID-19 quarantine or infecting family members. Occasionally, contact tracers have to call ambulances for the people on the other end of the line. Since the early months of the pandemic, contact tracers have worked to try to slow the spread of COVID-19 by identifying close contacts of people with COVID-19 and often advising them to quarantine. But the job is far more complex, and stressful, than just that. Contact tracer...