As the BA.5 subvariant has driven up coronavirus infections in L.A. County, contact tracers are only reaching a fraction of reported cases.
At one point, L.A. County had enlisted roughly 2,800 contact tracers to find people who had tested positive and reach out to contacts who they might have exposed. By July, the county had roughly 100 staffers dedicated to contact tracing for COVID-19 — a fraction of the work force it once devoted to the effort.
Experts said that monkeypox may be better suited to contact tracing than COVID because it is harder to transmit, is at lower numbers, and has a longer incubation period. By July, contact tracers were again reaching out to the vast majority of their assigned cases within a day, according to county figures. But the majority of those attempts were not ending with a successful interview. Morgan said that many people he had dialed would say, “I don’t have time for this.”
Even when contact tracers do reach people who tested positive for the coronavirus, the trail often runs cold after that. But “contact tracing can be incredibly valuable at keeping us at a very low level” when cases have fallen, Swartzberg said. And if public health departments give up on such programs when cases are overwhelming, it can be difficult to reestablish them when contact tracing could be more effective, Swartzberg argued.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Utah reports 5,800 new COVID-19 cases and 16 deaths, including Salt Lake County childUtah’s latest COVID-19 metrics released Thursday showed a slight decrease in newly documented coronavirus cases since last week, but wastewater sites continue to report high levels of the virus in sewers. The state on Thursday also reported a child was among 16 newly reported COVID-19 deaths.
Read more »
Masks now required in government buildings in Cuyahoga County after COVID-19 level rises to 'high'Beginning Monday, masks will again be required in all Cuyahoga Co. government buildings, regardless of vaccination status, as the county is once again in the “high” level of COVID-19 community spread.
Read more »
New COVID Vaccine Boosters Are Coming, and They're More Effective Against BA.5 VariantNew COVID-19 booster shots will be coming in the fall. Find out when you're eligible to get boosted.
Read more »
COVID Update: IL reports 7,151 new cases, 17 deaths; Cook County in 'high' transmission, CDC saysIllinois reported 7,151 new COVID cases and 17 new deaths Thursday as Cook County remains in 'high' transmission, according to the CDC.
Read more »
As the BA.5 omicron subvariant surges, vaccine experts urge high risk people to get COVID-19 booster nowVaccine experts are warning people who are at a high risk of severe disease to get their second COVID-19 booster now, and to not wait for the next generation booster.
Read more »