As Michigan prepares to lift stay at home restrictions, health officials are working to ensure the state is ready to quell coronavirus.
In addition to increasing the state's capacity to test for COVID-19 cases, public health officials are putting a lot of emphasis on contact tracing.
More than 2,200 people have volunteered to help the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services conduct contact tracing to help the state's response to COVID-19.
What is contact tracing?
Contact tracing is how health officials are tracking the spread of the coronavirus.
If someone tests positive for COVID-19, they will tell the officials everywhere they have gone and everyone they have come into contact with, from grocery store employees to friends and family. The health officials will then get in contact with everyone who was potentially exposed to the virus through this positive case, and they will give the people guidance on what to do next.
"In many cases, these people don't know they were in contact with a sick person," said Dr. Adam London with the Kent County Health Department. "So in many cases, these people are receiving a phone call from a phone number they don't recognize, and they are being asked about their health. They are being given guidance on how to protect themselves and others."
Contact tracing will equip health officials with necessary information on the spread of the virus, as the state makes plans to move forward from a strict stay at home order
“Contact tracing is an essential public health tool and will help determine and limit the spread of COVID-19 in our state,” said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, chief medical executive and chief deputy for health. “This effort is also giving Michiganders an important way to contribute to crisis response and we appreciate their willingness to step up for their communities, pitching in selflessly for work that will help us all.”
The primary way that health officials will contact people is by phone. But London said people need to remain vigilant during this time.
"I want to be clear, these phone calls are legitimate and we will identify ourselves," he said. "But we will never ask for financial information. We will never try to sell you something. We will never ask for your social security number. If you receive a call like that, it's a scam."
The 2,200 people who are already trained to contact trace will join 130 MDHHS staff members to assist local health departments in investigating individual cases of COVID-19.
To date, contact tracing has helped local health departments get in touch with over 12,000 people who may have been exposed to the virus.
MDHHS is looking for anyone who has a background in public health, health care fields or community organizing to volunteer. Volunteers will work remotely by phone or computer. Click here for the volunteer application.
Michigan increasing testing capacity
In addition to contact tracing, state health officials are also working to expand the testing capacity. This is another important tool for reopening Michigan.
MDHHS has expanded the criteria of who can and should get tested for COVID-19. Starting on Tuesday, April 21, this will be expanded again to include all essential workers who are reporting for in-person work with a potential COVID-19 exposure, whether symptomatic or asymptomatic.
Even as Michigan has added new testing facilities and worked to grow the ability to process tests, a lack of supplies has hindered this effort. The state has the ability to do about 11,300 tests a day, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said. But they are only running about half of that because they need additional swabs and reagents.
"Those supplies are in demand, globally, and we are competing to get them and working incredibly hard so that we can ramp up to that 11,300 capacity," Whitmer said.
Khaldun emphasized that even with limited supplies, they still want anyone who needs a test to be able to get one easily. To find a testing site near you, visit the state's coronavirus website.
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