“Test, trace, isolate.” The oft-heard phrase provided a way to corral COVID-19 in the early days of the pandemic. Although still highly effective and recommended strategies, vaccines have strengthened the response to the current health crisis.
But as the pandemic drags on, these public health recommendations — and public health officials — have run into their own challenges.
The highly contagious delta variant is driving a spike in cases not seen since last winter. With more cases, the need for contact tracing increases – amid a shortage of public health workers.
Dr. Ryan Westergaard, chief medical officer for the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, said health departments statewide are “in a bit of peak mode” when it comes to contact tracing.
Local health departments are prioritizing high-risk environments, telling people who test positive for COVID-19 to call people they have been in contact with and use technology to take advantage of awareness, he said.
State health departments are asking for help alerting those who may have come into contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19.
In Pierce County, more than 50 school children have tested positive since in-person classes began Sept. 1. Five county residents in northwestern Wisconsin have been hospitalized in the past week alone.
“We don’t know if this is the tip or the tip of the iceberg for Pierce County. We are doing our best to track the spread of the disease in our community, but we need the helps schools, businesses, individuals and elected leaders succeed this fall,” Pierce County Health Officer AZ Snyder said in a statement.
With more new infections than staff can reach, the health department is prioritizing contact tracing cases: those under 18 and those working or residing in long-term care facilities or other collective establishments.
Meanwhile, Marathon County is trying to hire more contact tracers. Officials say the local health department’s COVID-19 response teams are “critically over capacity”.
“You do not need to hear from the Health Department to begin isolation if you test positive or begin quarantine if you know you are a close contact of someone with COVID-19 “advised health officials in a statement.
But as pandemic fatigue increases, the level of public cooperation to test, trace and isolate is spotty and non-existent in some cases.
“I think one of the problems we have in Dane County and across the country is we have this low voice telling people not to report their (COVID-19 positive) cases,” said Kim Whitmore, a Madison & Dane County Public Health Board. member of health. “We see it in sports teams or schools where they don’t want documentation of outbreaks or shutdowns in their areas.”
“No one expected it to last this long,” Whitmore continued. “We should support our public health services, not try to tear them down.”
As of Sept. 1, 29% of residents had downloaded the Wisconsin Exposure Notification app, which has faced criticism for its effectiveness, as well as similar digital contact tracing apps.
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