State to boost testing, contact tracing
With Oklahoma set to begin its phased reopening Friday, the state aims to beef up COVID-19 testing and contact tracing throughout the month of May.
At a news conference Thursday, Commissioner of Health Gary Cox said he aims for 90,000 Oklahomans, or 2% of the state's population, to get tested in May.
Gov. Kevin Stitt recently proclaimed that anyone, even those without symptoms of COVID-19, can now get tested at one of the state's 80 drivethru testing locations.
Cox said he also aims to grow the agency's manpower for contact tracing from the 150 people on staff to 1,000 tracers with some help from the Oklahoma National Guard, the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University. He did not specify how contact tracing will be increased through partnerships with the National Guard and universities.
“Testing and contact tracing go hand in hand in our efforts to really slow the spread and minimize spread of COVID, while at the same time, safely opening our economy here in Oklahoma,” he said.
Contact tracers are tasked with getting in touch with those who may have come in close contact with someone who has tested positive for
COVID-19. Those individuals would also then be tested for COVID-19.
Cox said he anticipates another 150 people will be trained as contact tracers within the next week, effectively doubling the agency's current capacity.
“Our goal is to have at least 1,000 contact tracers ready to deploy as needed,” he said.
The Trump administration has said effective contact tracing and increased testing are key in states that are allowing businesses to reopen.
At the news conference, Stitt also defended the state's methods for acquiring personal protective equipment (PPE) after the administration's procurement practices have come under scrutiny this week.
“I'm going to continue to turn over every rock and run down every lead as we compete against other states and other countries around the world for PPE because my job as governor is to protect the health and lives of Oklahomans first and foremost,” he said.
The State Department of Health will be audited following reports from The Oklahoman about the extreme steps state officials have been willing to take to find respirator masks and other equipment during the coronavirus crisis. Cox said he welcomes the audit.
In partnership with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Oklahoma, Cox announced the state will expand testing in underserved areas with the company's nine Caring Vans.
The partnership formed, in part, after Sen. George Young, D- Oklahoma City, expressed concerns about how the pandemic is affecting predominantly black communities like that of Senate District 48, which he serves.
Young praised the partnership Thursday as a way to get more information and data on how the coronavirus affects underserved communities throughout the state.
“What hurts us is what we don't know,” he said.
Contact tracing in Oklahoma City
The Oklahoma City- County Health Department currently has more than 20 people doing contact tracing with plans to increase that number.
The department has four epidemiologists and one public health nurse who are part of the core investigations staff that have been conducting interviews with COVID19 patients since the virus came to Oklahoma, epidemiologist Eddie Withers said in an email.
The department has enlisted the help of eight additional nurses within the agency and nine other epidemiologists from an outside agency to help with contact tracing. More volunteers and personnel also will be trained to perform contact tracing, although Withers did not give a specific number.
“As public places open, we want to ensure we have the capability to reach everyone and anyone directly affected by COVID-19,” he said.
An investigation begins once a testing lab notifies the department of a positive case. The department then reaches out to that person to establish an isolation period and asks them to identify anyone with whom they have recently come into close contact.
From there, the department reaches out to all of those individuals while adhering to medical privacy laws, Withers said.
“We will only contact those people who are in the `need to know,' and when it comes to close contacts, we do not identify who you are,” he said. “The investigation and more so the cooperation of the public is vital in the fight against COVID-19.”
Legally, people who test positive for COVID- 19 or come in close contact with someone who tested positive are required to cooperate with the department's investigation. Nevertheless, the department still encounters a few people who don't want to cooperate, Withers said.
The process can become cumbersome when someone who tests positive has come in contact with a lot of people. General safety precautions, such as practicing social distancing, wearing a face mask in public and staying home when sick can help reduce the number of contacts in an investigation, which can help save time and resources, he said.
“The process itself can be a little time consuming as we must maintain contact with each confirmed case and their close contacts throughout the duration of their isolation/quarantine period, Withers said. “This can be anywhere between seven days to 21 days depending on the situation.”