People confirmed to have Covid-19 in Limerick encouraged to be open with contact tracers
PEOPLE with confirmed Covid-19 cases are being encouraged to speak openly with contact tracers investigating serious outbreaks across the region.
The Department of Public Health Mid-West, which issued the request, has confirmed that when a contact tracer does make contact, it is “strictly private and confidential” so they can determine all possible points of exposure and potential links to other cases of the disease.
It allows the Department to map the chain of transmission in a setting or community, and to prevent the further spread of infection in a timely manner.
But director Dr Mai Mannix has expressed her concern that some are being “scant” with their information, and warned: “The less open you are about your movements and close contacts, the more challenging it is for us to investigate and prevent further outbreaks.”
“There is no such thing as giving too much information to a contact tracer. You could be the first link in a long chain of transmission that infects someone very vulnerable, but you can break that link by following public health advice and being open with contact tracers,” she added.
The Department of Public Health Mid-West says it can be challenging to get the full range of close contacts in workplaces, particularly small workplaces, where some work colleagues may deny being a close contact, out of fear that the workplace may suffer due to reduction in staff or potential temporary closure. Temporary closure occurs very infrequently.
Single workplace infections can lead to multi-household clusters and further secondary outbreaks if Public Health departments are not fully aware of all possible exposures, they warn.
In a small number of instances, the Department says it’s seeing hesitancy among people to be fully forthcoming with information.
For example, they say, someone who attended a social gathering or visited a household may be reluctant to reveal details of these events, such as their close contacts, the number of people attending the gathering, or even admit that they attended the household or gathering.
We are seeing this similar pattern in all age groups, albeit in small numbers, in multi-household outbreaks in housing estates and communities across the Mid-West.
“We often discover the extent of close contacts through follow-up phone calls with the individual or new confirmed cases. People can be hesitant to reveal their actions or their close contacts, out of fear that they may get others in trouble or that their personal information will be compromised. Our contact tracers are active in allaying these concerns and offering helpful advice on how to stay safe and protect others during your infectious period,” the department concluded in a statement.