Coronavirus: Rapid 'cluster busting' to find Covid-19 outbreak source could nip other clusters in the bud

Tracing cases “upstream” might be the key to limiting the Covid-19 lockdown and containing other outbreaks before they spread, one expert says. An additional 13 cases have been linked to Auckland’s “index case” identified on Tuesday. The outbreak has been officially classified as a cluster, and mass testing is underway across Auckland and the country to contain further spread. However, cluster busting might be easier than trying to find new cases and clusters through mass testing, which usually relies on contacts developing symptoms and proactively seeking tests. Professor Shaun Hendy, the director of Te Pūnaha Matatini, told Stuff cluster busting is an effective approach that’s arguably more important than downstream tracing – or finding other cases in the cluster.