Many restrictions amid the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic are being loosened across Nebraska, but Governor Pete Ricketts says in order to roll back even more restrictions, contact tracing is the key.
In his daily coronavirus briefing on Thursday, Ricketts said that the state is working towards getting 1,000 contact tracers in Nebraska, but right now that number is only at 277. Prior to COVID-19 there were 30 staff members who work as contact tracers.
Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services Epidemiology Surveillance Coordinator Felicia Quintana-Zinn says contact tracers are like disease investigators. She says tracers will contact those who have tested positive and work backwards from their diagnosis. "So, what they're gonna ask is: when you started feeling symptoms, what those symptoms are like, if you've been in the hospital with COVID, if you have any other pre-existing medical conditions and who you've had close contact with."
Quintana-Zinn says it is helpful to have a calendar on hand for the call with a contact tracer, as it will help jog your memory about where you've been and when you may have had close contact with. "When we say close contact, we're not talking about just passing somebody in a hall or in a grocery store. We're talking about being within six feet of distance for over 10 minutes with that individual. And so that's where that calendar can really help, is to really sit there and kind of go back into what happened over the past few days."
Next, Quintana-Zinn says a contact tracer will reach out to all those who may have had close contact with the COVID-positive person. "They'll let you know that you had a likely exposure. This is kind of what you need to next in the coming days and then they will give you recommendations to reduce your exposure to others."
Quintana-Zinn says its very important that if you're having symptoms, that you disclose that to the contact tracer so they can do a proper assessment. She assures Nebraskans that their information will not be shared with anyone other than the health department.