Public health urges contacts to ‘Answer the Call’
The North Georgia Health District wants to inform the public about the state Department of Public Health’s expanded COVID-19 contact tracing program implemented to curb spread of the virus.
Contact tracers notify, then offer quarantine and testing recommendations to -people — or “contacts” -— who may have been exposed to the coronavirus. Since May, the Healthy Georgia Collaborative contact tracing program has deployed approximately 1,300 contact tracers and case investigators to interview individuals who’ve tested positive for the coronavirus.
According to information provided by the six-county health district, 16,590 people have been interviewed and 40,082 contacts have been identified statewide.
Jennifer King, the health district’s public information officer, described how the process works.
“People who test positive for COVID-19 identify their close contacts to public health. Close contacts are generally people who live in the same household as a sick person with the virus, care for a sick person with the virus or have been within six feet of a person who’s sick with the virus for 15 minutes or more beginning two days before they became ill or were identified as positive for COVID-19,” she explained. “The infected person provides the names and phone numbers of their close contacts to public health and our local infectious disease (ID) staff gets in touch with those contacts to inform them that they’ve been in close contact with a person who’s tested positive for COVID-19.”
The ID staff also advises contacts on how to monitor their symptoms on a daily basis and contacts can use either an online contact tracing app or call a designated phone number each day to report their symptoms, King said.
“If they use neither method to report by noon each day, then our ID staff calls them for their report. If at any time during the quarantine the close contact reports a symptom consistent with COVID-19, that generates a phone call from ID and they evaluate the person according to their symptoms,” she added. “If the symptoms are mild to moderate, ID will provide them with the protocol for home isolation, advise them to call their healthcare provider and to get tested for COVID-19. If their symptoms, such as difficulty breathing, worsen, then they will be urged to contact 911.”
Georgia Public Health has launched a new informational campaign, “Answer the Call,” to inform the public about how contact tracing works and the importance of communication between contacts and the health district’s ID staff.
There have been many times that someone has been identified as a close contact of a person who’s tested positive for the virus, but did not answer the phone when called by a contact tracer, King noted.
“They don’t recognize the number or, even if they do answer, they may feel uneasy about it. Public health is trying to educate residents on what contact tracing is and why it’s important for helping track and stop the spread of COVID-19,” she added.
Georgia Public Health offered the following details about the contact tracing process:
﹣ To encourage participation and reduce scams, when public health calls, the caller ID will read GA COVID Team.
﹣ Contact tracers will provide resources and information on testing, symptom monitoring and protection for family members. Any information provided to public health staff members is kept confidential under HIPAA regulations.
﹣ Georgia’s contact tracing program does not use GPS or Bluetooth technology to track movements of residents.
﹣ Contact tracers will never ask for personal information like Social Security numbers, credit card information or citizenship status. If you suspect fraudulent activity or know of someone who’s experienced fraudulent activity, contact the Georgia Public Health COVID-19 hotline, 1-844-442-2681, to make a report.
A local COVID-19 community outreach team, which has done various projects to inform the public about the virus and how to prevent spreading it, is also getting the word out about contact tracing.
Krystal Sumner, Gilmer Health Department nurse manager, said the team will be doing another event at the East Ellijay Walmart this Thursday, weather permitting.
“We will be giving out 500 masks and offering information about contact tracing. We are also giving out information to each patient that comes through our test site and to every patient that comes in the health department,” she added.