City tracks contacts of COVID-19 patients
Investigations to track the recent local COVID-19 patients and their close contacts is ongoing, Pan Hao, field team deputy leader for the city’s COVID-19 control and prevention, said on Monday.
A place affected by the novel coronavirus is placed on lockdown.
Since Thursday, 13 local novel coronavirus infections have been reported.
Once a suspected COVID-19 case is found, investigations and disinfection will be carried out by relevant departments at the city and district levels, Pan said. “Our job is just like putting out the fire. We need to control it as soon as possible.”
Samples from relevant places are tested.
Public security bureaus will investigate close contacts and people at the places, such as homes, restaurants and wet markets, the patients have visited, team leader Huang Xiaoyan said. All will be asked to take a nucleic acid test or undergo quarantine.
The centers for disease control and prevention take charge of risk assessment, implement corresponding action according to the assessment results and collect samples, Huang said. Communities will arrange quarantine.
"During the epidemiological investigations, all details are key evidence to the restoration of their tracks," Pan said.
Team members call relevant people during their investigations.
For example, the time when a person took a cab needs to be accurate to the minute, Pan said. Staff also need to know whether the driver was paid in cash or mobile phone, where the passengers sat and whether the car’s windows were open or not.
“Although some elderly people may not clearly remember much information about the recent 14 days, our team members will help picture what they did and when in detail via communication with them and their family members,” Pan said.
As of Sunday, 380 close contacts had been found, with eight confirmed and one unclear. Nearly 37,600 people had taken nucleic acid tests, with two testing positive and one unclear, Wu Jinglei, director of the Shanghai Health Commission, said.
