Contact tracers work to follow the trail of Covid-19 infections.
“We are trying to pursue societal good and minimize the hospitalizations, the ventilators, the deaths,” Nebraska State Epidemiologist Dr.Tom Safranek tells 6 News.
In order to do just that, contact tracers are on the phone each day trying to reach those who have tested positive for Covid-19."
The challenge is getting people to respond.
“The problem is we have a serious public health threat, a once in a hundred years health threat. None of us are used to this, but it is a new problem that results in, you might say, an intervention in people’s lives and a phone call from a stranger to discuss a health issue."
Right now, contact tracers are noticing about half with the virus say they know where they caught it, which points to clusters.
“Some people are just not using good sense, so, they are having big gatherings, big groups of people coming together, and this is just a recipe for further transmission,” says Dr. Mark Rupp, an infectious disease expert at Nebraska Medicine.
The remainder of people infected say they have no idea where they came in contact with the virus.
Safranek reminds us all information is private, but it’s vital in the fight against COVID-19.