Contact tracers: Behind-the-scenes heroes of the pandemic

Contact tracing was new to many of us in the beginning stages of the pandemic. Now, contact tracing has become a part of our everyday vocabulary.

The Hawaii Department of Health’s team of contact tracers helps keep the spread of COVID-19 under control. The health department currently has 51 contact tracers who are actively working on investigations, identifying contacts to cases, and following up and monitoring those contacts.

If necessary, the Department of Health can rapidly ramp up and expand its contact tracing team. It has an additional 128 people in the Disease Outbreak Control Division and Public Health Nursing Branch, who are capable of working on investigations and contact tracing.

Contact tracing helps lower the burden of the disease in a population, but it is only effective in flattening the curve when the community takes safe practices seriously, including wearing face coverings, physical distancing, practicing hand washing hygiene, and maintaining tightly defined family and social bubbles.

Never Any Down Time
With new cases identified every day in Hawaii, contact tracers are especially busy. During the lockdown, for every positive COVID-19 case, contact tracers followed up with as many as 35 family,

friends, and other close contacts.

Now that Hawaii has begun reopening and restrictions are being lifted, the potential for exposure has correspondingly increased. As expected, the number of positive cases has climbed. With more people venturing out of their homes and gathering for various activities, contact tracers are now following up with as many as 90 people for each individual who tests positive for the virus, according to Myra Ching-Lee, an epidemiological specialist in the Disease Investigation Branch of the Department of Health’s Disease Outbreak Control Division.

Broaching a Difficult Subject

It is not easy contacting someone and letting them know they have been exposed to COVID-19, but the Department of Health’s contact tracers delicately break the news with sensitivity.

Education is a big part of a contact tracer’s responsibilities. They must be well-versed in providing sound health guidance. But it requires much more to be effective when dealing with people’s fears and anxiety.

“Fortunately, many family and friends already know they have been exposed to the virus from those who test positive, and many are expecting to receive a call from the Department of Health,” said Lauren Usagawa, an epidemiological specialist who serves as one of the health department’s contact tracers. “Sometimes a person just needs to talk through everything. Sometimes they’re in shock, so we may have to explain everything to them more than once. All of our contact tracers must have empathy, kindness and patience.”

Everyone’s Cooperation is Critical
Encouraging those who have been exposed to the virus to comply with guidance can be challenging. For example, they may not see the importance of staying at home or have a difficult time understanding why they should quarantine themselves if they aren’t experiencing any symptoms. 

“Those we contact may also have hundreds of questions, and just being available to listen and explain helps put them at ease,” Lauren said. “Their primary concern is whether or not they should get tested. When we tell them they can’t go to work or get groceries, they ask how they’re supposed to pay their rent if they can’t work.” Contact tracers connect individuals and families with other supportive resources, including DOH’s Medical Reserve Corps volunteers, who help contacts access resources they may need during and after isolation or quarantine.

Preparing for Trans-Pacific Travel
Hawaii residents must also be prepared to take responsibility to protect our communities as the state reopens and prepares for trans-Pacific travelers to Hawaii in September. Contact tracers are also preparing for an increase in positive cases. The availability of COVID-19 tests go hand-in-hand with follow-up and monitoring through contact tracing.

“Recently, several of the private clinical laboratories in Hawaii have had a difficult time in procuring some of the supplies needed to conduct the COVID-19 tests as a result of the increasing testing needed in other states. This has led to the laboratories having to send some of the tests to mainland laboratories, affecting the turnaround time,” Myra said. “However, cases that contact tracers identify as needing a COVID-19 test as a result of an exposure are given priority, and we are confident the State has sufficient resources to rapidly conduct these tests in-state to obtain the results more quickly.”

Learn what to expect when a contact tracer reaches out to you.