Contact tracing of health care workers as a part of health system strengthening: lessons learnt from field experience

Vineet Kumar Pathak; Sunil Kumar Panigrahi; Utsav Raj; Anjan Kumar Giri; Anubhuti Kujur

doi:10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20230953

Authors

Vineet Kumar Pathak Department of Community Medicine, SGT Medical College, Budhera, Gurugram, India
Sunil Kumar Panigrahi Department of CFM, AIIMS, Deoghar, Jharkhand, India
Utsav Raj Public Health Specialist, CMHO Office, Jhansi, UP, India
Anjan Kumar Giri Department of Community Medicine, AIIMS, Raipur, Chhattisgarh, India
Anubhuti Kujur State Epidemiologist, NTEP, NHM, Chhattisgarh, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20230953

Keywords:

COVID-19, Contact tracing, Health care workers, PPE, Community, Risk assessment

Abstract

Health care workers (HCWs) are the frontline workers working tirelessly during the pandemic of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). The same HCW, after duty, is exposed to his/ her community which again increases the risk of infection. Hence, with an increased risk of exposure, we cannot afford to lose our frontline workers due to sickness or more. In the absence of any definitive antiviral treatment, unclear modes of transmission, burnout working hours, fatigue, societal stigma related to disease etc., a HCW is exposed to psychological distress and many a time develops an anxiety/panic condition which can increase the chances of work-place error and thus can increase the likelihood of infection. In this article, we have shared our experience with contact tracing among HCWs, what we have learned in the past two years, and proposed a way forward.

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References

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