The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
‘There should be no shame or stigma’
Health officials say those with COVID should start alerting contacts
MIDDLETOWN — Coronavirus contact tracing is “under considerable strain” locally, prompting health authorities to advise people those with COVID-19 to start reaching out immediately to people they may have infected.
“If you test positive, don’t wait for the call,” said Russell Melmed, director of the Chatham Health District.
“There should be no shame or stigma in getting a respiratory infection to which the entire population is susceptible — the definition of a pandemic,” said Melmed, whose agency represents the towns of Colchester, East Haddam, East Hampton, Hebron, Marlborough and Portland.
“Contact tracing may happen, but it may happen too late, so let people know,” Melmed said during this week’s webinar hosted by the Middlesex Chamber of Commerce on the rising chal
“It looks like right now roughly 10 to 15 percent of Connecticut has had COVID-19.”
Russell Melmed, director, Chatham Health District
lenges of the pandemic.
Cromwell Public Health Coordinator Sal Nesci and Middletown Acting Health Director Kevin Elak also spoke at the virtual meeting.
During the questionand-answer portion, a participant asked about quarantining when returning from states on the travel advisory list. Those who spend less than 24 hours in an affected state are exempt, according to the state.
COVID-19 is similar to influenza in many ways, but transmission is different, Melmed said. “The flu is spread when people are sick — actively sneezing, coughing,” unlike the coronavirus, which is difficult to control.
Over 50 percent of the COVID spread occurs before, and if, people show symptoms, which happens in 30 percent of cases, Melmed said. Those infected have a 75 percent chance of spreading it to others. “It’s really insidious in that way,” he said.
Melmed explained the different types of tests available: the PCR, the most accurate one, he said, which gives results in two to three days; rapid BinaxNOW tests, which takes about 15 minutes to complete, and those that detect antigens and antibodies.
The latter is less sensitive and specific, and can detect COVID proteins. They’re aren’t a lot of false positives, Melmed said. Antibody results reveal if a person has ever been infected, he said.
Health departments routinely get calls about violations at businesses, restaurants and other venues “We take each one seriously,” and enforcement officers investigate every one, Nesci said. “We do what we can to work with establishments.”
Unless there are major violations, education is the best tool available, Mayor Ben Florsheim has said, adding there have been very few issues that prompted municipal action.
“It looks like right now roughly 10 to 15 percent of Connecticut has had COVID-19,” Melmed said.
“We’re all pretty much sick and tired of this and we want to get this pandemic behind us,” Elak said.
For information, visit portal.ct.gov/coronavirus.