Ebola Contact Tracing Study Data – Data Codebook

Persistent Identifier

10.17037/DATA.00001069

Description

The collection contains four datasets captured in the Ebola Contact Tracing Study: [1] 'summary_data_cases' contains details of the 41 confirmed Ebola cases included in the study; [2] 'app_data_contacts' contains details of the 646 Ebola contacts registered on the Ebola Contact Tracing App (ECT) smartphone app. These originate from 18 Ebola cases (16 were laboratory confirmed and 2 were “secret burials” that were not confirmed); [3] 'paper_data_contacts' describes 408 Ebola contacts who were identified from 25 Ebola cases for monitoring using the standard paper-based system for contact tracing; and [4] 'main_analysis_dataset' contains information on 804 Ebola contacts and their contact tracing monitoring status collected using both the ECT app and paper-based system.

Data Codebook

This codebook describes four datasets produced as part of the Ebola Contact Tracing Study (ECTS):

  1. summary_data_cases contains details of the 41 confirmed Ebola cases included in the study;
  2. app_data_contacts contains details of the 646 Ebola contacts registered on the Ebola Contact Tracing App (ECT) smartphone app
  3. paper_data_contacts describes 408 Ebola contacts who were identified from 25 Ebola cases for monitoring using the standard paper-based system for contact tracing;
  4. main_analysis_dataset contains information on 804 Ebola contacts and their contact tracing monitoring status collected using both the ECT app and paper-based system.

Data access is restricted to protect study participants. Researchers are asked to complete an application form outlining:

The application will be evaluated by a study committee. If approved, the applicant will be provided with a data transfer agreement to be signed. Any participant-identifiable information contained within the dataset will be removed or disguised prior to being provided.

Dataset 1: summary_data_cases

The 'summary_data_cases' dataset contains observations on all 41 confirmed Ebola cases included in the study. Of these:

This dataset does not include information on two secret burials whose Ebola status was unconfirmed, but whose contacts were monitored using the ECT app.

Each row of the dataset refers to an Ebola case. Eight variables are described in total.

Variable Name Variable Label Answer Label Answer Code Variable Type
plk_case Case ID number. A unique identification code to link Ebola cases in each dataset     String
ageyr_case age of case (yrs)     Numeric
sex_case gender of case     String
    Female F  
    Male M  
mortstatus_case mortality status of case     String
    Alive Alive  
    Dead Dead  
n_contacts number of contacts     Integer
onsetdate_case onset of symptoms date DD-MMM-YY   Date
ct_method contact tracing method     Numeric
    paper method 0  
    app method 1  
chiefdom_code numbered codes for chiefdoms Open ended 1 to 7 Numeric

Dataset 2: app_data_contacts

The 'app_data_contacts' dataset contains 646 observations and 25 variables on the Ebola contacts that were registered on the Ebola Contact Tracing smartphone app. This includes contacts of 16 confirmed cases and 2 secret burials.

Please note that while this dataset contains 646 contacts, not all contacts were monitored by a contact tracer due to assignment and other technical issues, so the number of contacts assigned and monitored differs at each stage.

Each contact is featured on a single line and be aware that Ebola case information is repeated for each contact. Each contact has an individual unique PLK number starting with the prefix PLK followed by the 050 and four unique numbers and then a suffix number after a hyphen e.g. PLK0501234-01 which would indicate that the this is the first contact (01) for the Ebola case of PLK0501234.

Variable Name Variable Label Answer Label Answer Code Variable Type
plk_case Case ID number. A unique identification code to link Ebola cases in each dataset Open ended   String
plk_contact contact id number Open ended   String
ageyr_contact age in years of contacts Open ended   Numeric
lastcont_date date of last contact with case DD/MM/YYYY   Date
formmetatimeEnd Time that form was completed HH:mm:ss   String
formmetatimeStart Time that form was started HH:mm:ss   String
received_on Time that form was submitted HH:mm:ss   String
reg_time_start Start time of registration DD/MM/YYYY HH:mm:ss   String
reg_time_end End time of registration DD/MM/YYYY HH:mm:ss   String
receivedon_reg Date and time that registration was received DD/MM/YYYY HH:mm:ss String String
rel_cont Relationship to case     String
    Aunt or uncle aunt_uncle  
    Child of person child  
    Cousin cousin  
    Grandchild of person grandchild  
    Grandparent of person grandparent  
    Health care worker hcw  
    A person related by marriage inlaw  
    Neighbour neighbour  
    Nephen or niece nephew_niece  
    Spouse spouse  
    Step-parent stepparent  
    Stepson or step daughter stepson_stepdaughter  
    Traditional healer trad_healer  
    Uknown unknown  
    Other other  
rel_cont_other relationship to contact – free text Open ended   String
contact_fever contact had a fever     String
    No no  
    Yes yes  
hcw_contact contact was a health care worker     String
    No no  
    Yes yes  
samehoh same head of household     String
      No no  
    Yes yes  
sex_contact gender of contact     String
    Female female  
    Male male  
typeofcontact type of contact with case     Numeric
start_time_assign start time assignment DD/MM/YYYY hh:mm:ss   Date
end_time_assign End time of assignment DD/MM/YYYY hh:mm:ss   Date
receivedon_assign Received time of assignment DD/MM/YYYY hh:mm:ss   Date
reg_time_start_case Start time case registered DD/MM/YYYY hh:mm:ss   Date
reg_time_end_case end time case registered DD/MM/YYYY hh:mm:ss   Date
receivedon_reg_case received time of registered case DD/MM/YYYY hh:mm:ss   Date
chiefdom_contact numbered codes for chiefdoms for contacts Open ended   Numeric
chiefdom_code_cases numbered codes for chiefdoms for cases Open ended   Numeric

Dataset 3: paper_data_contacts

The 'paper_data_contacts' dataset contains 408 observations and 22 variables contacts of Ebola cases who were monitored using the standard paper-based system. Of the 25 cases monitored using paper, only 21 cases had contacts and are included in this dataset, the remaining 4 had no contacts and are therefore not listed.

The dataset contains demographic information on the case. Please note that that as cases had multiple contacts, demographic and other case level information is repeated for each contact of the same case. Any case level information is denoted at the end with _case. The same is true for contact information that is denoted with _contact. Contact level demographic information, geographic information, relationship to contact, date of last contact and contact monitoring information e.g. whether the contact tracing monitoring form was returned at the end of the 21-day monitoring period are also featured. Please note that not all contacts (n = 408) had daily contact tracing monitoring forms returned at the end of the 21-day monitoring period.  The variable drfmiss_contact refers to whether the daily contact tracing monitoring form was returned at the end of the study period (157 contacts had forms returned and 251 did not)

Each contact is featured on a single line and be aware that Ebola case information is repeated for each contact. Each contact has an individual unique PLK number starting with the prefix PLK followed by the 050 and four unique numbers and then a suffix number after a hyphen e.g. PLK0501234-01 which would indicate that the this is the first contact (01) for the Ebola case of PLK0501234.

Variable Name Variable Label Answer Label Answer Code Variable Type
plk_case Case ID number Open ended   String
ageyr_case Age of case (years) Open ended   Numeric
sex_case Gender of case     String
    Female F  
    Male M  
mortstatus_case Mortality status of case     String
dateofdeath_case Date of death of case DD/MM/YYYY   Date
onsetdate_case Onset of symptoms date DD/MM/YYYY   Date
occup_case Occupation of case     String
    Ambulance driver Ambulance driver  
    Bike rider Bike rider  
    Business woman Business woman  
    Child Child  
    Farmer Farmer  
    Herbalist Herbalist  
    House wife House wife  
    Infant Infant  
    Old age Old age  
    Petty Trader Petty Trader  
    Pupil Pupil  
    Student Student  
    T.B.A T.B.A  
    Trader Trader  
plk_contact Contact ID number     String
sex_contact gender of contact     String
    Female F  
    Male M  
ageyr_contact age in years of contact Open ended   Numeric
rel_cont relationship to case     String
    Ambulance Nurse Ambulance Nurse  
    Aunt Aunt  
    Brother Brother  
    Brother in law Brother in law  
    Clinician Clinician  
    Daughter Daughter  
    Daughter in law Daughter in law  
    Father Father  
    Father in law Father in law  
    fiancee home fiancee home  
    Girl friend (1st) Girl friend (1st)  
    Girl friend (2nd) Girl friend (2nd)  
    Grand child Grand child  
    Grand daughter Grand daughter  
    Grand father Grand father  
    Grand mother Grand mother  
    Grand son Grand son  
    House mate House mate  
    Husband Husband  
    In law In law  
    Lab technician Lab technician  
    Mate Mate  
    Mother Mother  
    Mother in law Mother in law  
    Neighbour Neighbour  
    Nephew Nephew  
    Niece Niece  
    Not stated Not stated  
    Sister Sister  
    Sister in law Sister in law  
    Son Son  
    Step daughter Step daughter  
    Step mother Step mother  
    Step son Step son  
    Uncle Uncle  
    Wife Wife  
lastcont_date Date of last contact with case DD/MM/YYYY   Date
date_firstvst Date of first contact tracing visit DD/MM/YYYY   Date
timefirstvst_contact Time of first contact tracer visit HH:mm:ss   String
drfmiss_contact Daily reporting form missing     Integer
    Returned 0  
    Not returned 1  
datecompleted_21days Date completed 21 day monitoring DD/MM/YYYY   Date
nodays_monitored Number of days monitored by contact tracer     Numeric
typeofcontact Type of contact with case     String
hcw_contact Contact was a health care worker     String
      No  
      Yes  
no_contacts Number of contacts for each case     Numeric
chiefdom_code_cases Numbered codes for chiefdoms for cases     Numeric
chiefdom_code_cont Numbered codes for chiefdoms for contacts     Numeric

Dataset 4: main_analysis_data

The ‘main_analysis_dataset' dataset contains 804 observations and 26 variables. This is the dataset that has been used for the main analysis of the Ebola Contact Tracing Study. This dataset combines information including the laboratory confirmation times for Ebola cases from Public Health England. The data focuses on contacts including the 157 contacts who were monitored via the paper-based systems whose contact tracing daily reporting forms were returned at the end of the study period and 647 contacts monitored with the ECT app. The reason for 647 contacts instead of 646 as indicated above for the app_based contacts is that there was one Ebola case (PLK0508936) that had no contacts but is featured as a line in the dataset. This dataset also contains the app times inclusing registration, assignment and visitation times (including time of first visit by the contact tracer) and time of first visit information for the paper-based contacts. Other app metadata is featured in this dataset. This dataset does not feature information on the 250 paper-based contacts whose contact tracing daily monitoring forms were not returned at the end of the study period.

Each contact is featured on a single line and be aware that Ebola case information is repeated for each contact. Each contact has an individual unique PLK number starting with the prefix PLK followed by the 050 and four unique numbers and then a suffix number after a hyphen e.g. PLK0501234-01 which would indicate that the this is the first contact (01) for the Ebola case of PLK0501234.

Variable Name Variable Label Answer Label Answer Code Variable Type
plk_case Case id number Open ended   String
batchresultdatetime PHE batch result date time DD/MM/YYYY hh:mm   Date
batchreportdatetime PHE batch report date time DD/MM/YYYY hh:mm   Date
plk_contact Contact ID number Open ended   String
chiefdom_code_cont Numbered codes for chiefdoms for contacts Open ended   Numeric
lastcont_date Date of last contact with case DD/MM/YYYY   Date
total_daysmont Number of days contact traced (monitored) Open ended   Numeric
first_visit_seen Date and time of first seen visit DD/MM/YYYY hh:mm   Date
first_visit Date and time of first visit DD/MM/YYYY hh:mm   Date
health_statuspaper Health status of contact at the end of contact tracing     Numeric
    well 1  
    sick 2  
    not_seen 3  
    no_information 4  
total_seen_visits total number of seen visits by the contact tracer Open ended   Numeric
health_status1 Health status 1     Numeric
    well 1  
    sick 2  
    not_seen 3  
    no_information 4  
health_status2 Health status 2     Numeric
    well 1  
    sick 2  
    not_seen 3  
    no_information 4  
reg_time_start Start time of registration DD/MM/YYYY hh:mm   Date
reg_time_end End time of registration DD/MM/YYYY hh:mm   Date
reg_time_start_case Start time case registered DD/MM/YYYY hh:mm   Date
reg_time_end_case End time case registered DD/MM/YYYY hh:mm   Date
start_time_assign Start time assignment DD/MM/YYYY hh:mm   Date
end_time_assign End time of assignment DD/MM/YYYY hh:mm   Date
t_first_contact_result Time to first use of method for contact visit (hours) Open ended   Numeric
t_conf_reg Time from confirmation to registration completion (hours) Open ended   Numeric
t_reg_assign Time from registration completion to assignment (hours) Open ended   Numeric
t_assign_visit Time from assignment to first visit of contact using method (hours) Open ended   Numeric
t_conf_assign Time from confirmation to assignment (hours) Open ended   Numeric
ct_method1 Contact tracing method 1     Numeric
    paper method 0  
    app method 1  
montfull_21 Monitored for the full 21 days     Numeric
    no 0  
    yes 1