Page 6 - CEEM Shopping Mag June 2020
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Contact Tracer Positions
As U.S. unemployment soars to historic levels, the hottest job of the
year could be a lifesaver: contact tracing. Containing the coronavirus
as the economy gradually reopens has created an urgent need for
hundreds of thousands of people trained to identify infected individuals
and track down anyone and everyone they could have exposed to the virus.
In the absence of a federal plan, some city and state health departments
are already seeking to fill thousands of these positions. Experts estimate
that between 100,000 and 300,000 contact tracers — who can earn up to
$65,000 per year — will be needed nationwide based on state populations
and projected COVID-19 infection rates.
What is contact tracing?
Contact tracing is a tried-and-true approach to containing infections.
It is commonly used to contain sexually transmitted infections and
tuberculosis.
Contact tracers identify infected individuals based on test results, obtained
by city and state health departments. Then they contact people — initially
by phone, in most cases — who have tested positive for the coronavirus.
Tracers will ask them to recall the names of everyone with whom they
have recently come into contact. Finally, contact tracers will warn those
people of their potential exposure, advise them to self-quarantine and
provide them with access to resources they might need in order to
follow protocol.
The containment method is most effective at disrupting transmission when
an infected person's contacts are immediately notified that they have been
exposed.
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