Health unit adopting contact tracing by text
The Windsor- Essex County Health Unit has begun to use a virtual assistant to help its staff tackle an ever-growing backlog of contact tracing.
The tool sends a text message to anyone who provides a mobile phone number to the health unit and who tests positive for COVID-19. The message includes a link to the virtual assistant tool, where infected residents can identify their close contacts quickly without having to wait for an hourlong phone interview conducted by public health staff several days after they've tested positive.
The health unit had been piloting the new tool, which the province has now made available to any public health unit that feels the need to use it. Since the health unit did not publicly announce its adoption of the system, health unit CEO Theresa Marentette said some residents believed the texts they were receiving were a scam.
“(We) want to assure people that this is a legitimate tool implemented to collect further information from those of you who have tested positive,” Marentette said on Tuesday.
“This process will help us to quickly identify the contacts of cases and get in touch with them quickly in a timely manner to reduce the further potential spread.”
Health unit staff continue to call people who test positive as soon as possible to let them know that they have COVID-19 and need to remain in isolation, Marentette said. At the same time, staff are letting residents know about the virtual assistant tool. The lengthy case interview takes place during a different phone call, often several days later.
Anyone who tests positive and decides they do not want to use the virtual assistant can text “STOP” at any time to stop receiving messages from the health unit.
“If you're a case, you're isolating and you have stopped the spread of any further transmission,” Marentette said. “But if you're a contact and you're not aware that you've been in contact with a case, then you may still be going about your business. We want to reach the contacts as quickly as possible and make sure that they're isolating as well and monitoring for any symptoms.”