What is contact tracing, and how does it work with COVID-19?

COVID-19 AS MARYLAND CONTINUES TO SEE IT’S COVID-19 POSITIVITY RATE DROP. WE ARE NOW LEARNING MOR ABOUT WHERE AND HOW SOME PEOPLE HAVE CONTRACTED THE DISEASE ALL IN HOPES OF PREVENTING THE SPREAD KNOWING WHERE OUTBREAK START AND ORIGINATED AND HOW THEY MIGHT BE SPREADING IS REALLY IMPORTANT. DR. JONATHAN THEOREM AND CHIEF MEDICAL. RELATION OFFICER WITH LIFEBRIDGE HEALTH HAD A LOOK AT THE NUMBERS WITH 11 NEWS IF IT’S MD COVID AND SO THE CALL THROUGH THE STATE’S CONTACT TRACING INITIATIVE COVID LINK THOSE WHO TEST POSITIVE ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT WHERE THEY WERE BEFORE THEY CONTRACTED COVID-19 SO FAR. WE KNOW THE FOLLOWING SINCE JUNE 15TH MORE THAN 53,000 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ENTERED INTO COVID LINK OF THOSE ALMOST THIRTY NINE THOUSAND HAVE COMPLETED THEIR INTERVIEWS A SHOWS WHEN IT COMES TO THE GATHERINGS OF 10 PEOPLE OR MORE 13% DID ATTEND SUCH AN EVENT 57% DID NOT ANOTHER AREA CONSIDERED WAS HIGH-RISK LOCATIONS SUCH AS RESTAURANTS STORES PARTIES OR RELIGIOUS GATHERINGS 41 PERCENT SAID THAT THEY WENT TO 130 PERCENT DID NOT AND THEN THERE’ GOING BACK TO WORK TWENTY-SIX PERCENT SAID THAT THEY DID GO BACK FORTY NINE PERCENT SAID THAT THEY DID NOT AS AGGREGATE DATA. IT KIND OF GIVES US SOME GENERAL UNDERSTANDING OF WHERE PEOPLE ARE MORE AT RISK UNLESS IT RISK WHETHER IT’S EATING INSIDE IN A RESTAURANT OR OTHER THINGS THAT ARE HIGHER UP ON THOSE RISK CATEGORIES GOING TO WORK IN A WORK ENVIRONMENT VERSUS WORKING AT HOME. DR. THURMAN SAYS THE DATA IS INVALUABLE WHEN COUPLED WITH ACTUAL PHYSICAL PRECAUTIONS SUCH AS WEARING MASKS AND SOCIAL DISTANCING. IT SHOULD HELP TO CONTINUE FLATTENING THE CURVE. IT’S SIMPLY THE THE ONE OF THE KEY ELEMENTS THAT WILL HELP US OPEN SCHOOLS OPE BUSINESSES. I THINK THAT THAT’S VERY PROACTIVE THING THAT WILL HELP US. OF ADVANCED AND AND GET BACK TO SOMETHING LIKE NORMAL AND FOR A CLOSER LOOK AT THE DATA PROVIDED BY THE STATE. WE HAVE SOME LINKS ON OUR WEBSITE WBALTV.COM AND ON OUR MOBILE APP IN NORTHWEST BALTIMOR

What is contact tracing, and how does it work with COVID-19?The goal of contact tracing is to alert people who may have been exposed to someone with the coronavirus, and prevent them from spreading it to others. Health experts say contact tracing is key to containing the virus and allowing places to reopen more safely.But the process isn’t easy.After a person tests positive for the virus, a contact tracer would get in touch with the person and attempt to determine where they have been and who they were around.The focus is on close contacts, or people who were within 6 feet of the infected person for at least 10 minutes or so. Those people would then be asked to self-isolate, monitor themselves for symptoms and get tested if needed.For those showing symptoms, the tracing process would start all over again.Contact tracing is done in a variety of ways around the world. But a common issue is that determining who a person has been around can get harder as gatherings with friends and family resume, and as bars, restaurants and other places start reopening.Health officials could also become overwhelmed with cases. In the U.S. for example, local health departments may rely on automated texts to alert people who may have been exposed to an infected person. Health officials prefer to call people if possible because it can help build trust. But some people never return calls or texts.There’s also pressure to act quickly. Ideally, most of a person’s contacts would be alerted within a day.

What is contact tracing, and how does it work with COVID-19?

The goal of contact tracing is to alert people who may have been exposed to someone with the coronavirus, and prevent them from spreading it to others. Health experts say contact tracing is key to containing the virus and allowing places to reopen more safely.

But the process isn’t easy.

After a person tests positive for the virus, a contact tracer would get in touch with the person and attempt to determine where they have been and who they were around.

The focus is on close contacts, or people who were within 6 feet of the infected person for at least 10 minutes or so. Those people would then be asked to self-isolate, monitor themselves for symptoms and get tested if needed.

For those showing symptoms, the tracing process would start all over again.

Contact tracing is done in a variety of ways around the world. But a common issue is that determining who a person has been around can get harder as gatherings with friends and family resume, and as bars, restaurants and other places start reopening.

Health officials could also become overwhelmed with cases. In the U.S. for example, local health departments may rely on automated texts to alert people who may have been exposed to an infected person. Health officials prefer to call people if possible because it can help build trust. But some people never return calls or texts.

There’s also pressure to act quickly. Ideally, most of a person’s contacts would be alerted within a day.

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