LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- After a record-setting rise in COVID-19 cases across the state, the Indiana University Fairbanks School of Public Health hopes to hire nearly 100 new contact tracers within the next month.
“We get anywhere from 10-20 cases a day up to 80-90 cases a day. It really ebbs and flows of how many cases get sent to us (from the state,)” said Shandy Dearth, the school’s principal investigator.
Dearth said the school has 100 contact tracers on staff, but a $10.5 Million contract with Indianapolis and Marion County allows for hiring up to 300 if needed.
“It’s really important for those people who have tested positive to talk with us,” said Dearth. “Unfortunately, hospitalizations are starting to go up here in Indianapolis and in Indiana.”
Statewide, the Indiana State Department of Health has 955 contact tracers who make all the initial contacts for people who test positive.
However, 25% of the state’s contact tracing efforts do not get a response. Individuals who do not report to the state get referred to local health departments for follow-up.
Randall Seefeldt, Fairbanks School’s program supervisor, who oversees the tracers and is occasionally one himself, said their toughest challenge is simply getting Hoosiers to answer the calls.
“By the time (contact tracers) get to (positive patients,) it’s not unusual for them to be like ‘Urgh, I’ve already been through this’, even though they really haven’t been through the whole scenario,” said Seefeldt.
When positive individuals do not respond to local efforts, contact tracers leave behind a flyer with a phone number for residents to call to complete the survey over the phone.
“We’re creating new door-hangers to leave on someone’s front door when they’re not home that will have a link to an online secure survey so people can fill out the survey that way,” said Dearth. “It will also have a QR Code on it so people can just zap that with their cell phone and try and complete the survey that way.”
A spokesperson for Indiana State Department of Health said the state’s centralized contact tracers have made more than 475,000 calls and sent more than 630,000 texts.
The Fairbanks School’s hiring push resulted in 50 added jobs last week, with another 100 planned over the next month, according to a story by FOX59.
To apply to become a full-time contact tracer, click here.
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