Contact tracers work to prevent COVID-19 outbreaks
IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KYMA, KECY)-As coronavirus cases continue to spike, contact tracers in Imperial county investigate were the virus is being spread, in efforts to stop its spread.
“If people do not follow these orders they can possibly infect many people if they are indeed a positive case," says Karla Lopez, Imperial County Public Health Department epidemiologist.
More than 8,000 people have contracted the virus in Imperial County. With no end in sight, local health departments work endlessly to track the virus down.
Who has it, where it’s coming from, and who may have been exposed are all questions Imperial County’s epidemiology team investigates daily.
“I currently oversee the case interviewers and contract tracers for lab-confirmed COVID cases," said Lopez.
Lopez is at the forefront in helping track down COVID-19 cases throughout the valley.
Contact tracers are case investigators that reach out to individuals who have tested positive for the coronavirus.
“We have the conversation with them with regards to where they’ve been and whom they’ve been around, in the period of time before they got sick and what we normally do is try to go back two days before there symptom offset because that's when we believe that they start becoming contagious," said Dr. Stephan Munday, Imperial County Public Health Officer.
Information collected is crucial in helping identify those that may have been exposed.
Munday says early detection can significantly reduce the number of people infected, but it requires honesty and cooperation from the community.
“It’s really epidemiologist circles. You start with the people who had the closets contact in the period of time when the person was potentially infectious. You collect their information and look to see if anybody has become ill or needs to be quarantined. Then you keep going from there until you identify new cases," said Munday.
Tracking down hundreds of cases requires a workforce that a county like in Imperial isn't equipped with.
“Obviously with what's going on four people can't possibly do this," said Munday. This is why the state is going full steam ahead to build an army of contact tracers.
“Testing is the backbone, but the tracing component requires a workforce, requires an element of collaboration and coordination," said California Governor Gavin Newsom.
Tune in to 13 On Your Side at 4 p.m. as Alexandra Rangel speaks to the health department about the state's initiative to increase contact tracing in California and Imperial County.
