Mahad Nur considers himself a disease detective.

With more than a decade of experience as a contact tracer, Nur knows the importance of tracking down people to limit the spread of infectious diseases, especially one as wily as .

“The virus spreads from person to person, and we know that it is spreading within the community,” said Nur, supervisor of Toronto Public Health’s Communicable Disease Liaison Unit. “By following up with every contact of an individual, you are hoping to break that transmission chain.

“This can turn into a really big spider web of contacts and that’s what we’re trying to avoid by tracing contacts, encouraging isolation of those contacts and breaking the transmission of the virus.”

Nur, who worked many 12-hour days during the early months of the pandemic, is watching COVID-19 cases rise in the city. He remains hopeful that with each phone call from Toronto Public Health, another person will take proper measures and halt the virus’s exponential spread. On Sunday, the province reported 491 new cases, including 137 in Toronto.

Heading into fall and a possible second wave, Nur spoke with the Star about the challenges of contact tracing, his ongoing struggle for a work-life balance and why thinking of our loved ones is the key to ending the pandemic.

You’ve worked as a contact tracer for many years. What is different about this job during the pandemic?

In the beginning, people didn’t really know about the virus and the role of public health in the COVID response. It was a challenge. We had to quickly let people know why public health was calling. People didn’t understand why we needed to know where they worked and who they’ve spent time with. People are now expecting our calls, which makes things easier for us.

What’s the most important thing about your job, the thing you need to do so every phone call is a success?

We need to gain the trust of the people we are speaking with and make them feel comfortable enough to tell us these important things about their lives. We explain our roles, explain the reason for our calls, explain the follow-up steps and explain that we will need to speak with their close contacts. We’re trying to gain their trust the whole time. We try to get across that we are calling for the overall good.

In recent weeks, the pandemic has shifted with more young people testing positive for COVID-19. Are conversations different now that 63 per cent of new cases provincewide (as of Sunday) are in people under the age of 40?

Not really. The younger folks might have more contacts because they are socializing more. But for the most part, we see that people have definitely tried their hardest to isolate within their bubble. This might not happen in all circumstances. But for the most part, most close contacts we follow up with are household contacts or people within an individual’s social bubble.

What is a challenge your team faces during these phone conversations?

The biggest thing we have to take into consideration is that most of these individuals are not feeling well. They are sick. So if we need to take a pause during the interview, and give them a break, that’s OK. These phone calls do take a long time and we want to be sure we are collecting accurate information. It’s not an easy process and we try to take our time. We don’t have a clock saying we have to finish the call within 30 minutes

Your team spends a lot of time with people on the phone, talking COVID. What is a common misconception or misunderstanding about the virus?

It varies. That’s why we really take the opportunity to explain the facts and debunk the misinformation going around.

Can you give me an example?

One that we hear is: “Masks don’t work when it comes to COVID-19.” This when we take the time to really, really try to explain that the reason you wear a mask is to protect yourself and to protect others. And that when two people are wearing a mask, the risk of the transmission of the virus is reduced.

You know a lot about COVID-19. What’s the most common question you’ve received from family and friends in the pandemic?

When is this going to end? That’s the question I get a lot. People have planned weddings and other social events. With all the restrictions … people always want to know if things are going to change. I don’t have an answer. The message I keep trying to explain is that it’s so important to ensure you are doing the most you can to protect your loved ones. People understand that.

We’ve all had to adjust to life in a pandemic. How does your job influence what you do at home to keep your family safe?

I practise what I preach. And I take a lot of pride in that. The hardest thing I had to explain to my own family members, especially at the beginning, was to tell them we can’t visit. I took the distancing recommendations very seriously. I’m such a family-oriented person, with lots of friends who do lots of activities together. The hardest part for me was to keep the distance from the people I love.

You said in one of our earlier conversations that you think about COVID day and night. Are you finding ways to take your mind off work?

It has been difficult to separate my work from my home life. It’s been nine months, and I’m still trying to make that balance work. I can close my computer at the end of the day, but I still think about it — all the things that need to be followed up on, the ways I can support my staff. But I try to disconnect by spending time with my kids, maybe taking them for a bike ride. Watching basketball, even though it’s a bummer that the Raptors are out of the playoffs. Or sitting outside in the evenings and relaxing, connecting with family members (by phone) who don’t live in the city.

When you think back over the last year, is there a moment in your job that you think you won’t forget, one that you will carry with you?

That moment was right at the beginning. I was off work when the first case (of COVID-19) was reported. I looked at my phone and saw all the emails coming in and I said: ‘It’s here.’ Working in public health, you always hear stories about SARS (the 2003 outbreak). When I saw Dr. (Eileen) de Villa on TV saying Toronto had its first case of COVID, I knew in that moment things were going to be different, that 10 years down the line, I’m going to have COVID stories to share.

As cases of COVID-19 climb, what do you want people to think about in their daily lives?

Not everybody is a nurse in an emergency department. Not everybody is a doctor treating somebody who is sick. Not everybody is a contact tracer. But everybody has a role. If you can do your part, you are contributing to this effort. And if everybody continues to do their part, we will bring this virus to an end.

This interview was edited for length and clarity.

Megan Ogilvie is a Toronto-based health reporter for the Star. Follow her on Twitter: