CDC sends research team to Wyoming
CHEYENNE, Wyo. (KIFI/KIDK)-Wyoming's low population density may become a working research project for the Centers for Disease Control.
State Health Officer and Epidemiologist Dr. Alexia Harrist invited a CDC "Community Protective Initiative" team to help supplement her department's work in the state to slow and limit the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
"The CDC indicated an interest in directing some of their staff toward protecting areas with relatively low levels of COVID-19 infections," she said. "The idea is to help maintain lower levels of illness in locations that haven't yet been overcome as in other areas of the country."
She said five team members will support state efforts involving:
- Data systems and data analysis
- Prevention, infection control and containment of infections in long-term care facilities and psychiatric facilities
- Community mitigation and infection prevention and control among tribal communities
- Case identification and contact tracing
Harrist said her team has been using contact tracing as a key strategy.
"We feel it's been a helpful technique and one that our lower (density) population has so far allowed to continue," she said.
Contact tracing involves following up to identify the close contacts of laboratory-confirmed cases and see who might also be at increased risk. Those people are then offered advice and use quarantine and isolation orders to help protect communities from further spread.
In the meantime, Harrist said current health orders encouraging people to stay home as much as possible remain critical.
