For the full interview with EOC Commander Carolann Wooton, go to the bottom of this story.
by Amanda Randles
The Haines Borough Emergency Operations Center released a memo earlier this week addressing what appears to be community misunderstandings surrounding Covid-19 testing and tracing in the community.
September 15, Haines Borough Emergency Operations Center released information on a new positive case of Covid-19 in the community, the first since the end of July, and the fifth resident case for the community, according to the state department of health.
Since that new case was announced, Borough EOC Commander Carolann Wooton has fielded a lot of inquiries about contact tracing. Contract tracing is when the State Public health nurses’ office contacts people who have been in close contact with the person who tested positive. But, they have specific guidelines for what qualifies as “close contact”.
“I think, oftentimes, what has been happening is that people who are testing positive are taking it upon themselves to notify their friends, which I think is correct,” Wooton says, “But, because they’re getting told by their friend, people are assuming that means their a close contact, and that’s not necessarily the case. Public Health has a very narrow window of what they determine a close contact to be. A Close contact must be within that person’s presence, within six feet, for at least 15 minutes, in order for that to be deemed, by Public Health Standards, to be a close contact.”
The confusing part, according to Wooton, is the time frame around when someone tests positive. “A contact has to have occurred two days prior to the positive test of a person without symptoms – that’s an asymptomatic – and up to 10 days after the beginning of symptoms, if they develop. For a patient with symptoms, the contact has to have occurred within two days prior to the onset of symptoms, and up to ten days after the beginning of the symptoms. and I think that’s really important to note because just because you have been contacted by someone who is your friend, who is positive, doesn’t necessarily mean that you within their presence during that very finite period of time, which is what Public Health is looking at.”
However, Wooton says if someone has not been contacted by public health, but believe they may be at risk anyway, it is always good to be cautious and isolate themselves for 14 days since the contact.
For those who have recently travelled, Wooton says the advice from the borough remains the same – quarantine for 14 days, or get a test. The borough EOC has vouchers to get free tests, available from the Emergency Operations Center for anyone who needs to be tested. Wooton says when getting tested, it is good to remember how long it takes after exposure to build up what is known as “viral load”. “You have to be careful to note that there is a seven day incubation for that virus to really show up in your system.” Says Wooton, “And so the standard is seven days. So if I get notified by my friend that they’re positive today and I go in tomorrow to get tested, it’s probably a little soon. It would be a lot better for you to wait that seven days before you go in to get tested. Because they’re looking for a viral load, you want to get that maximum viral load so that your test is legitimate. Otherwise you might get a negative, but in reality, you actually could have the virus and not know it.”
Another issue that has been discussed throughout the community is the idea of people getting false positives on Covid tests, meaning a positive test, without actually having the virus. While it is possible, even common, to test positive without having symptoms of the illness, Wooton says false positives on tests aren’t really likely.
“what we are being told by public health and from the medical professionals, is that the test for Covid is keyed on a very specific protien that’s only in the coronavirus, and if it shows up on a positive test, they’re saying there’s no such thing.”
Wooten says the Borough EOC for Covid is still there, still working on keeping the community safe. They have chosen not to flood the public with information during the quiet times when there aren’t changes so that when they do need to make an announcement, the information will not disappear amongst many other announcements.
Wooten also notes that information is changing all of the time, and even within hours of releasing information, the EOC could then receive new, conflicting information. It’s an ever-evolving situation, and she appreciates the community’s patience as time goes on.
As for standard safety precautions for the community, Wooton says the advice hasn’t changed. Wash your hands, wear a mask in public, and social distance. “you know, keep your groups small. Know who you’re hanging out with, know where they’ve been. Honestly, as a person, on my personal level, that’s the thing I practice the most is that social distancing, and keeping my social circle really small. So that I don’t ever have to worry about, well, actually I don’t know who I’ve been around! And So the biggest thing I would say to the community is, please, if Public Health reaches out to you and identifies you as a close contact, please follow their directions, because that right there is going to help contain this.”
To learn more from the Haines Emergency Operations center, or to receive a voucher for Covid testing, email eoc@haines.ak.us. For more information on contact tracing protocols, contact the Alaska Public Health nurse office in Juneau.
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To hear the full interview with Haines EOC Commander Carolann Wooton, including more information on demographic information and how Haines is doing over all, click on the sound below.
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