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Six months after #COVID19 declared a pandemic, with ~1,000 deaths per day in the USA, #ContactTracing capacity is still woefully inadequate. Only six states plus DC have the recommended 5+ contact tracers per daily case. A
. . . https://testandtrace.com/state-data/
. . . https://testandtrace.com/state-data/
2. It’s hard to overstate how big of a problem the lack of #ContactTracing poses. Until there’s a vaccine, “management of the #COVID19 pandemic will rely heavily on traditional public health methods for case identification and contact tracing.” @JHSPH_CHS https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/09/contact-tracing-crisis-magnitude-hot-mess-america-fixes-coronavirus-cvd/
3. NEW from @NASEM_Health: Proven strategies to encourage participation in #ContactTracing: encouraging response to outreach from health department officials and encouraging sharing information about people whom they may have exposed to #COVID19. https://www.nap.edu/catalog/25916/encouraging-participation-and-cooperation-in-contact-tracing-lessons-from-survey
4. Like much of the nation’s patchwork pandemic response, leaving states to sort things out individually hasn’t worked very well. Now @Apple- @Google will provide the #ContactTracing technology with no outside app required. https://www.wired.com/story/google-apple-change-tactics-contact-tracing-tech/
5. New York City and 14 states #ContactTracing results showing widespread public reluctance to participate in disease tracking. More than 3/4 of people interviewed in hard-hit states like California and Louisiana refused to cooperate. @AliceOllstein https://www.politico.com/news/2020/09/03/contact-tracing-conspiracy-theories-trump-messaging-408611
6. NEW from @CSISHealth: For #ContactTracing to be effective and ethical authorities need to: respect civil rights, enlist community-based organizations and community leaders as partners, and provide financial subsidies to those who require quarantine. https://www.csis.org/analysis/building-trust-ensure-effective-and-ethical-contact-tracing-communities-color
7. #RhodeIsland is setting up #ContactTracing program for the state’s schools for the inevitable #COVID19 cases that crop up when children return to the classroom - @GovRaimondo. Will initially be staffed with 50 people, but more may be added as needed. https://apnews.com/d8de236f4ae495fa0ab1d52c10d68fc1
8. Louisville, KY, leaders sounding alarm over "uncontrolled spread" of #COVID19. The agency intends to add 100 new #ContactTracing staff by the end of September, like "hiring more firefighters in the middle of a big blaze." @DrSarahMoyer @LouMetroHealth https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/local/2020/09/02/louisville-seeking-reinforcements-battle-relentless-covid-19-load/5690900002/
9. #Illinois' #COVID19 cases surpass 240,000 as counties ramp up #ContactTracing hires. Suburban counties are in the midst of a hiring blitz for contact tracers. Why not a national #COVIDResponseCorps? https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20200903/illinois-covid-19-cases-surpass-240000-as-counties-ramp-up-contact-tracing-hires
10. The expert hand-picked to fix Hawaii’s #ContactTracing program has asked to go on leave, citing “significant confusion” about who is leading the effort — a conflict she says is preventing her from doing her job. https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2020/09/02/civil-beat-expert-hired-fix-states-beleaguered-contact-tracing-program-asks-leave/
11. Political meddling, disorganization and years of neglect of public-health data management mean the country is flying blind. The United States is producing little information through #ContactTracing. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-02478-z
12. A patchwork approach to #ContactTracing across state health departments is making it increasingly difficult to know where people are getting exposed to #COVID19. Little information is publicly available about outbreaks tied to community settings. https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/514233-patchwork-approach-to-contact-tracing-hampers-national-recovery
13. #ContactTracing has not worked as well here as it has in other rich countries. Because the U.S. has had such an enfeebled public-health system for so long, the public doesn’t trust public-health workers at a time when it’s crucial that they do so. https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2020/08/contact-tracing-hr-6666-working-us/615637/
14. WEBINAR: “Early Lessons for Effective and Equitable Contact Tracing.” This webcast is now available on-demand. @JBWogan @MathematicaNow https://www.mathematica.org/events/early-lessons-for-effective-and-equitable-contact-tracing
15. With 40,000+ #COVID19 cases a day in the USA, #ContactTracing, a proven effective pillar of public health, is still woefully understaffed and inadequate. Why not a national #COVIDResponseCorps? #PublicHealth #workforce. End
