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IMPORTANT: While "contact tracing" is essential to curbing the spread of #COVID19, new polls show many Americans don't want to do it. Here’s what it actually is & why we as doctors think it's the best route to re-opening the country. Please share with anyone who needs this info.
First: What is #contacttracing? It simply means that when someone tests positive for a contagious illness, you try to determine who came into close contact with them & may also be at risk. Then you might test and/or quarantine those folks, to control the illness's spread. (2/13)
As a doctor, when I see patients with suspected #COVID19 in my ER, they get a test & results. But beyond that patient in front of me, I can't do much to control the spread to all the people they came into contact with. Contact tracing helps immeasurably with this. (3/13)
This concept of #TestandTrace isn't new. Here's an example: When a patient tests positive for an #STD, that result is sent to the local health dept. The patient is alerted & all recent sexual contacts are contacted. Based on risk, those people are either treated or tested. (4/13)
The contacts of the patient who tested positive are asked to abstain from sex until they're clear. In this way, we can minimize the spread of STDs. Because of the nature of spread of STDs, the abstinence from sex effectively stops the spread of this particular disease. (5/13)
With #COVID19, the mode of spread is clearly different from an STD. When a patient tests positive, they're isolated to decrease the risk of spread. Because they may have spread the virus before they tested positive, they're interviewed to determine recent contacts. (6/13)
The ID of contacts may be more difficult with #COVID19 than STDs (depending on number of sexual contacts, it may only take a few hours with an STD). But today, as most states are relatively closed, it may not be too difficult to identify all contacts of a #COVID19 patient. (7/13)
The sooner we do this, the easier. As states “re-open,” the process of #contacttracing becomes more challenging. An army of tracers will need to call & interview all known close contacts of infected individuals. Daily follow-up calls will be needed to monitor symptoms. (8/13)
Many states have trained or are training thousands to perform this work. It's estimated that between 100,000 - 300,000 tracers will be needed across the country. While the work should be carried out by local health departments, the federal government has a role, too. (9/13)
With record unemployment, the federal government could provide funding to local entities to hire & train necessary staff. Additional federal funds will be needed to financially support the sick who are asked to isolate & the well who are asked to quarantine. (10/13)
Want to shorten the quarantine? In an ideal future, all contacts of a #COVID19 positive patient will be able to be tested. This would help potentially loosen restrictions. The federal government could expedite this process by employing the #DPA for tests, swabs & reagent. (11/13)
Until this ideal is realized, we must rely on the time-tested process of #TestTraceIsolate. The goal of the lockdown to flatten the curve was to avoid overwhelming hospitals with #COVID19 patients. The goal of #OpeningAmerica can only be achieved with #TestTraceIsolate. (12/13)
I understand that many Americans don't love the idea of revealing their personal information or history. Contact tracing must be done responsibly & in a way that protects everyone's privacy. Done in that manner, it's the most effective way to curb the spread of #COVID19. (/END.)
