While we applaud higher education's efforts in containing the spread of CoV-19, not one person quoted in Deirdre Fernandes' article mentioned the real secret weapon in containing the virus: "Contact Tracing." The article never mentioned the two words, and the author failed to recognize unsung heroes consisting of contact tracing teams at universities. These are disciplined, patient, energetic, and conscientious professionals who respond to every case among students and staff, using a colorful skill set of empathy, diplomacy, effective communication, and investigative instincts. Whether contact tracing managers are alerted at midday or in the wee hours, they're ready to serve the mission of the school often at the expense of attending to their social and family lives. Starting with the infected person as the root, they trace branches down to the many remote and close contacts as the leaves. Then comes the diligent work of managing all aspects of isolation/quarantine processes, while keeping the data organized and structured.

Contact tracing is the 24/7 effective nervous system that links together testing labs, school departments, Broad reporting, infected individuals, their families and contacts, to keep every classroom and campus humming, while minimizing institutional and communal risks. Testing alone is necessary but insufficient.