The Department of Health in Lee County has contacted nearly 4,000 people and are monitoring 2,670 in hopes of slowing the spread of coronavirus.
HOW CONDITIONS TODAY ARECONTRIBUTING TO ALL OF THESEBRUSH FIRES.
DEREK?Which person did they come intocontact with, and then howquickly is that person who hasthe virus able to spread it toothers?TRACKING DOWN COVID-19LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENTS SAYTHEY’RE NOT JUST TALLYING THENUMBER OF CONFIRMED CASES.BUT GETTING AHOLD OF EVERYONE’SWHO’S MADE CONTACT WITH THOSEPATIENTS.THEY SAY IT COULD BETTER PREPAREDOCTORS AND THE PUBLIC FOR ASECOND WAVE OF CORONAVIRUS.FOUR IN YOUR CORNER’S RACHELLOYD’S EXPLAINING HOW IT WORKS.RACHEL?(:29 - :34(1:02 - 1:08)ANCHOR INTRO: TRACKING DOWNCOVID-19.LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENTS SAYLOCAL HEALTHCOVID-19.TRACKING DOWN ANCHOR INTRO:TRACKING DOWN COVID-19.LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENTS SAYTHEY’RE NOT JUST TALLYING THENUMBER OF CONFIRMED CASES.LLINTRO: CONTACT TRACINGINVOLVES CALLING PATIENTS’FAMILIES FRIENDS AND EVENACQUAINTANCES IF THEY’VE COMEWITHIN SIX FEET OF THEM FOR MORETHAN TEN MINUTES.
BUT EVEN AFTERTHOSE PEOPLE ARE CALLED, NOTEVERYONE GETS TESTED.SWFL IS QUICKLY APPROACHINGTHREE THOUSAND COVID-19 CASES, ATHIRD OF THEM ARE IN COLLIERCOUNTY.800 MAY NOT SOUND LIKE A LOTCOMPARED TO OTHER COUNTIES, BUTKRISTINE HOLLINGSWORTH WITH THEDEPT OF HEALTH SAYS THETRACING NET SPANS PRETTY WIDETHERE.We’ve contacted over 2300individuals for contact tracingalone.THEY HAVE ABOUT 20 TRAINED STAFFMEMBERS CALLING EVERYONE WHO’SMADE CONTACT WITH PATIENTSWITHIN THE FIRST TWO DAYS OFSHOWING SYMPTOMS. THAT’S WHENTHEY’RE MOST CONTAGIOUS.People may be able toself-monitor and notself-isolate, others may beasked to self-isolate.
Ifthey’re symptomatic they will beasked to be tested.ROBERT HAWKES, THE DIRECTOR FORTHE PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT PROGRAMAT FGCU SAYS THIS IS THE FIRSTTIME HEALTH PROFESSIONALS ARSEEING A PANDEMIC AT THISMAGNITUDE.We’re really not ramped up to beable to trace the entirepopulation.
That’s why a lot offacilities are seeing if you’renot symptomatic, then just kindof self-quarantine, kind ofmonitor yourself.THE DOH IN LEE COUNTY SAYSTHEY’VE MULTIPLIED THEIR TRACINGSTAFF FROM FOUR TO 41.The hard part is getting peoplto be able to do this, andgetting people trained enough togo do contact tracing.OHIO DOH WENT AS FAR AS HIRINGAN OUTSIDE AGENCY.
THEY’RE GOINGFROM A FEW HUNDRED ON STAFF TONEARLY TWO THOUSAND TRACKINGDOWN POSSIBLE CASES.HAWKES SAYS IT MAY BFRUSTRATING GETTING A CALL FROMA PHYSICIAN WARNING YOU TO STAYAT HOME, BUT IT COULD BETTERPREPARE DOCTORS THE NEXT TIMECORONAVIRUS COMES AROUNit’s going to help us tohopefully better predict and maybe able to contain it if asecond wave does come abou
The health community says more contact tracers are needed to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Places like Johns Hopkins..
