As of Friday, there have been more than 648 COVID-19 cases in Contra Costa County and the health department is tracing contacts for every single one.
[Ads /]
RELATED: Coronavirus: Here are the Bay Area counties requiring residents to wear face masks during COVID-19 pandemic
Normally, there are 25 staff members doing contact tracing for hundreds of communicable diseases like measles. Now they've ramped up to 85 staff dedicated entirely to tracing COVID-19.
Digital tracing may be useful to know where a COVID-19 positive person went. But contact tracing is of critical importance because it is about making old-fashioned phone calls and talking with someone about how intimate their contact was with others.
RELATED: Coronavirus pandemic: Face coverings required in San Francisco starting at midnight
"If they happen to go to a grocery store and didn't have a close conversation with someone else, maybe the risk is fairly low and there's not a lot to do with contact tracing," said Contra Costa Public Health Director Daniel Peddycord said. "If on the other hand, they say I met my neighbor out front and we had a 20 minute conversation and we hugged, we'd say that's a contact we've got to follow up with them," he said.
RELATED: Coronavirus: How to make a mask, face covering in less than 2 minutes
[Ads /]
Sometimes a COVID-19 case leads to one phone call. Other times, it could be 100 calls. One fact doesn't need sleuthing.
The vast majority of cases are transmitted inside the home so roommates and family members are the first to be contacted. Training a new army of detectives is imperative with one John Hopkins study predicting the US needs 100,000 contact tracers on the job.
If you have a question or comment about the coronavirus pandemic, submit yours via the form below or here.
RELATED STORIES & VIDEOS:
- Live updates about coronavirus outbreak in US,around the world
- Coronavirus data: See how the curve of COVID-19 cases is bending in each Bay Area county
- Everything you need to know about the Bay Area's shelter-in-place order
- Coronavirus Doctor's Note: Dr. Alok Patel gives his insight into COVID-19 pandemic
- Stimulus calculator: How much money should you expect from coronavirus relief bill
- WATCH: ABC7's interactive town hall 'Race and Coronavirus: A Bay Area Conversation'
- What Bay Area tenants need to know about rent payments, eviction amid COVID-19 outbreak
- Here's how shelter in place, stay at home orders can slow spread of COVID-19
- Coronavirus Timeline: Tracking major moments of COVID-19 pandemic in San Francisco Bay Area/
- Coronavirus and the new normal of livingin the San Francisco-Bay Area -- COVID-19 Diaries
- Happy hour goes virtual as people try to be sociable while social distancing during COVID-19 crisis
- Coronavirus Outbreak: Here's why you should practice 'social distancing'
- DRONEVIEW7: What the Bay Area looks like during the coronavirus shelter-in-place
- ABC7's drive around San Francisco shows empty streets, businesses shuttered
- Symptoms, prevention, and how to prepare for a COVID-19 outbreak in the US
- List of stores, companies closing due to coronavirus pandemic
- Canceled late fees, free services available amid COVID-19 crisis
- Here's how you can help during COVID-19 pandemic
- How to maintain learning during school closures
- No masks but here are 100+ products that may help protect you against novel coronavirus germs
- Here's a look at some of history's worst pandemics that have killed millions
- Asian community fighting racism, xenophobia, bigotry as world fights COVID-19