Health department guidelines for positive COVID-19 “contact tracing”

WICOMICO CO., Md. – After someone tests positive for COVID-19, health departments have a specific way of finding out who they may have been around before getting their results which may also be known as “contact tracing”.

The Wicomico County Health Department says they first try to touch base with the COVID positive patient to learn about the timeline of their symptoms. Then they ask them about who their close contacts are and who they might have been around before they got sick. 47 ABC asked officials if they contact any stores that person may have visited and they explained why they don’t do that.

“It would be so hard for them to do any follow up based on that because they don’t know who the customers were in there at the time. A lot of these stores have already put into place some good precautions to protect their employees,” says Olivia Butler, the Communicable Disease Program Supervisor with the Wicomico County Health Department.

Experts say the best thing to do if you’ve been around someone who later test positive is to self monitor your symptoms. Officials add that social distancing and staying home is the best way to reduce everyone’s exposure to COVID-19.

For the latest information on COVID-19 in Wicomico County: click here.