Volunteer contact tracers needed to help minimize spread of COVID-19

The health community says more contact tracers are needed to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

Places like Johns Hopkins University offer courses for members of the community to become a contact tracer.

ONCE CONFIRMEDCOVID-19 CASES AREIDENTIFIED -- CONTRACTTRACERS CAN GET TOWORK TO HELP SLOW THESPREAD OFTRANSMISSION.SO HOW EXACTLY DOES ITWORK -- AND HOW CANYOU HELP IN THE FIGHT?HERE'S 41 ACTION NEWSI-TEAM INVESTIGATORJESSICA MCMCASTER.Jessica McMasterTHE WHOLE CONCEPT ISTO HELP TRACK DOWNPEOPLE WHO'VE BEEN INCLOSE CONTACT WITHTHOSE INFECTED WITHCOVID-19 TO HELPPREVENT THE SPREAD OFTHE SPREAD OF THEVIRUS.now let's talk about the virusthat causes covid19.JOHNS HOPKINSUNIVERSITY IS LOOKINGFOR CONTACT TRACERS.YOU START BY FILLING OUTINFORMATION ABOUTYOURSELF.THEN TAKE A SERIES OFCOURSES.this incubation period canrange from 2 to 14 days buton average is about five days.THE COURSES EDUCATEYOU ON VARIOUS ASPECTSOF THE VIRUS, FROM THERECOMMENDEDINCUBATION PERIOD, TOTHE AMOUNT OF TIME APERSON SHOULD ISOLATETHEMSELVES AFTEREXPOSURE...AND WHENSYMPTOM GO FROM MILDTO SEVERE.if someone is experiencingchest pain with breathing thisis a serious symptom andthey're going to want to seekimmediate care.THE COURSE ALSO GIVESYOU TOOLS TO HELPTRACK DOWN THOSEWHO'VE BEEN IN RECENTCONTACT WITH A PERSONWHO'S BECOME INFECTED.AT THE END OF EACHCOURSE YOU TAKE A QUIZ.SO...WHY do we needCONTACT TRACING?Dr. Allen Greiner / UnifiedGovernment WYCKO Pubc HealthDept.it's been used for infectiousdisease control for decades.DR. ALLEN GREINER WITHTHE WYANDOTTE COUNTYHEALTH DEPARTMENTSAYS CONTACT TRACING ISAN EFFECTIVE METHOD TOHELP MITIGATE THESPREAD OF DISEASESTHAT ARE EASILY SPREAD.Greinerwe always have activetuberculosis cases wherewe're following up whoeverthey've been in contact with.SINCE COVID-19 IS HIGHLYCONTAGIOUS, DR.GRENIER SAYS TRACKINGDOWN THOSE WHO'VEBEEN IN CONTACT WITH ANINFECTED PERSON CAN BETIME CONSUMING.Greinerif they've had contact with awhole lot of people its a lot ofphone calls and a lot ofconversations so we needmore we know we need morein this region we reallyprobably need more in thewhole united states."NEW SMARTPHONE APPSAND BLUETOOTHTECHNOLOGY CAN ALSOHELP PINPOINT THESPREAD OF CORONAVIRUSBASED ON A PERSON'SLOCATION, HOWEVER,SOME HAVE EXPRESSEDPRIVACY CONCERNS TIEDTO THE DATA COLLECTED.HEALTH OFFICIALS SAY IT'SNECESSARY..Greinerif we don't do well withcontact tracing we don't dowell with controlling thespread of the virus.BECOMING A TRACER, ISSIMPLE.Jessica McMasterit took me about an hour anda half to get to my finalassessment here.

It's a 40minute quiz.YOU HAVE TWO CHANCESTO GET IT RIGHT.Jessica McMasterlet's see how i didHERE'S MY CERTIFICATE.

IPASSED.

HERE'S WHYCONTACT TRACING IS AUSEFUL TOOL.

GERMANYHAS HAD ABOUT 10COVID-19 DEATHS PER100,000 PEOPLE.

THE U-S.HAS HAD THREE TIMESTHAT AMOUNT EVENTHOUGH WE HAVE A MORESTRICT LOCKDOWN OF THECOUNTRY.I'M INVESTIGATOR JESSICAMCMASTER 41 ACTIONNEWS.