Identification and Tracing of Contacts
We are required to follow the guidance of the Alameda County health department (ACPHD) and state licensing. Please click to review ACPHD’s Confirmed Positive COVID-19 Process for School which we will follow. This document can also be found under Enrollment and Resources.
We have a two-person team composed of a pediatrician and a nurse. The physician is the Chief Medical Officer at Tiburcio Vasquez Health Center. The nurse is a public school registered nurse and is trained in Identification and Contact Tracing through Bloomberg School of Public Health.
The team is skilled in the CDC definition of knowledge required:
-
An understanding of patient confidentiality, including the ability to conduct interviews without violating confidentiality
-
Understanding medical terms and principles of exposure, infection, infectious period, potentially infectious interactions, symptoms of disease, pre-symptomatic and asymptomatic infection
-
Excellent and sensitive interpersonal, cultural sensitivity, and interviewing skills such that they can build and maintain trust with patients and contacts
-
Basic skills of crisis counseling, and confident patient referral for further care if needed
-
Resourcefulness in locating patients and contacts who may be difficult to reach or reluctant to engage in conversation
-
Knowledge when to refer individuals/situations to medical, social, supervisory resources
-
Cultural competency appropriate to the local community
Additionally, we have two staff persons, the Director of Social Justice and the Office Manager, to support Contact Tracing, such as creation and submission of lists of exposed students and staff to ACPHD, and notification of exposed persons. The Head of School is the designee to the local health department in all matters relating to Covid-19.
CI AND CT require quick response to stop transmission spread. We have designed paperwork to indicate any possible exposure to fill out and provide to the health department. Any exposure will require immediate testing and willingness to cooperate with the school and team to prevent unnecessary spread of infection.
The school will act with as much transparency as possible and will adhere to the guidelines of the CDC and the county health department.