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1/ Q: What lessons can we learn from the contact tracers?
We talked to someone who has been working as a state #contact #tracer since May. She gave us a list of practical things you can do today to make contact tracers’ jobs easier:
We talked to someone who has been working as a state #contact #tracer since May. She gave us a list of practical things you can do today to make contact tracers’ jobs easier:
2/
Clear out your voicemail so they can leave a message! 
Make sure you have a thermometer at home. 
Clear out your voicemail so they can leave a message! Make sure you have a thermometer at home.
3/
If you start feeling ANY symptoms, write down when it happened so that later, if it turns out you have #COVID, the contact tracer can help you figure out when to END your isolation period!
If you start feeling ANY symptoms, write down when it happened so that later, if it turns out you have #COVID, the contact tracer can help you figure out when to END your isolation period!
4/
Keep your appointments in a calendar to help you recall any places you may have been (even if it’s just a casual visit w/friends). 
Get your contacts’ phone #'s if you don’t have them--contact tracers can’t use FB messenger! 
Keep your appointments in a calendar to help you recall any places you may have been (even if it’s just a casual visit w/friends). Get your contacts’ phone #'s if you don’t have them--contact tracers can’t use FB messenger!
5/ Here are a few other highlights from our interview:
What are the highest risk kinds of activities? Work (especially service workers); eating in restaurants, going to bars. 
What are the highest risk kinds of activities? Work (especially service workers); eating in restaurants, going to bars.
6/ Contact tracers *provide* lots of information, in addition to collecting it. They provide information to the people they call about what to do, how long to quarantine, when to seek medical attention, & even sometimes deliver the news that someone has tested positive. 
Contact tracers *provide* lots of information, in addition to collecting it. They provide information to the people they call about what to do, how long to quarantine, when to seek medical attention, & even sometimes deliver the news that someone has tested positive.
7/ The most important skill for contact tracers: Empathy. People want to talk, they have questions, & they value the safe space it provides. 
The most important skill for contact tracers: Empathy. People want to talk, they have questions, & they value the safe space it provides.
8/ What are the biggest misinformation threats about viral transmission? Risks of small gatherings. Most people have gotten the message to avoid large crowds, but lots of people are still having small gatherings outside their household bubble.
What are the biggest misinformation threats about viral transmission? Risks of small gatherings. Most people have gotten the message to avoid large crowds, but lots of people are still having small gatherings outside their household bubble.
8/ Interpreting a neg. test is still a challenge for many people. 
A negative might just mean too early to test. It takes a week after exposure for a test to become a *trustworthy* test. Rapid tests are especially prone to false negatives.
Interpreting a neg. test is still a challenge for many people. A negative might just mean too early to test. It takes a week after exposure for a test to become a *trustworthy* test. Rapid tests are especially prone to false negatives.
9/ Some days it is hard. 
Being a contact tracer is heavy #emotional #work. You have to take care of yourself in order to take care of others. This contact tracer’s advice: hold onto the joyful moments, like when someone is cleared & can come out of quarantine!
Some days it is hard. Being a contact tracer is heavy #emotional #work. You have to take care of yourself in order to take care of others. This contact tracer’s advice: hold onto the joyful moments, like when someone is cleared & can come out of quarantine!
10/ People tell you about alllll their weird symptoms, from their toe rashes 
to their hair falling out 
& everything in between
.
Thank you so much to our contact tracer Allison D. for taking the time to tell us!
People tell you about alllll their weird symptoms, from their toe rashes to their hair falling out & everything in between. Thank you so much to our contact tracer Allison D. for taking the time to tell us!
