COVID-19 EMPLOYEE AWARENESS, PREPAREDNESS & CONTACT TRACING PROGRAM

COVID-19 CONTACT TRACING AND EMPLOYEE WELLNESS PROGRAM

Background: This course contains a training plan including training topics that may be helpful for state and local public health jurisdictions to consider when designing their own training plan for COVID-19 contact tracers. For the purposes of this training program, contact tracers are those who notify close contacts of COVID-19 patients of their exposures. 

Overall Training Goal: After completing all training below, learners should be able to Understand the impact of Covid-19 and compliancy in the workplace.  How to conduct contact tracing according to the established protocol. 

Target Audience: Community health workers or volunteers with little or no experience conducting contact tracing. Content describing non-CDC tools on this site is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended to indicate endorsement, actual or implied, of the tools. Additionally, information on this site is provided “as is,” for users to evaluate and make their own determination as to their effectiveness.

Delegates will learn about how contact tracing is done, including how to build rapport with cases, identify their contacts, and support both cases and their contacts to stop transmission in their communities. The Program will also cover several important ethical considerations around contact tracing, isolation, and quarantine. Finally, the Program will identify some of the most common barriers to contact tracing efforts -- along with strategies to overcome them.

Rationale for the training program

This is only a small snippet of what companies can expect and are required to implement. TIME is of the essence. There is only a small window available to make change. Companies are currently in lockdown. It makes sense for responsible management to start working on solid reformation of the workplace.

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

• Describe the natural history of SARS-CoV-2, including the infectious period, the presentation of COVID-19, and evidence for how it is transmitted.
• Define an infectious contact and timeline for public health intervention through contact tracing.
• Demonstrate the utility of case investigation and contact tracing, identify common barriers, and possible strategies to overcome them.
• Present some ethical considerations around contact tracing, isolation and quarantine.

Our mission is to educate our Delegates and cultivate their capacity for life-long learning, to foster independent and original research, and to bring the benefits of discovery to the world.

Training Delivery Methodology

• Live training (whether through video-conference or a live course on a learning management system) or an eLearning course with knowledge checks is suggested so that learners can receive immediate feedback. Inclusion of a post-test – as well as an electronic guide describing jurisdiction-specific protocols – is strongly recommended.
• Also, workplace-based training classroom contact sessions with full and comprehensive social distancing protocols.
• An electronic guide, self-paced asynchronous eLearning, or live training (whether through video-conference or a live course on a learning management system) describing jurisdiction specific protocols and resources is suggested, along with opportunities to answer contact tracers’ questions via teleconference and an online frequently asked questions (FAQ) document that is regularly updated based on teleconference discussions and other feedback from the field.

Your safety is important to us:

• Group sizes will not exceed 8 learners (only 1 learner per training table).
• Hand sanitizer will be available in each venue.
• Toilets and public areas will be cleaned and sanitized several times during the day.
• Learners to wear a facemask or shields during training.
• Facilitators must wear face-shields during training.
• Covid-19 Policy and Procedures will be displayed at each venue.

PROGRAM MODULES – DURATION 5 DAYS

Module 1: Basics of COVID-19: Identifying strategies to reduce spread of Covid-19: Day 1

In this first module, we'll dig into the science of COVID-19, including what we know about its origins, clinical signs and symptoms, risk factors, diagnosis, transmission, and infectious period.

Background on COVID-19 

• General
• Epidemiology
• Signs/symptoms
• Update on current emergency response

Ways to prevent spread of COVID-19 

• General precautions (e.g., social distancing)
• Specific precautions for those potentially exposed or symptomatic
• Testing
• Contact tracing
• Quarantine
• Isolation
• Follow-up
• Other ways to reduce spread
• Introduction to RSA public health system and how contact tracing fits in
• Relevant terminology
• Introduction to contract tracing o General
• Describe basic steps of contract tracing:
• Describe skills and qualities necessary for contact tracers

Module 2: Identifying the primary components of COVID-19 Contact Tracing – Day 2

o General 

o Public health jurisdiction’s contact tracing terminology 

o Terms that may be used in other jurisdictions (e.g., other provinces) 

o Define contact tracing

▪ Test

▪ Investigation and elicitation 

▪ Trace

▪ Quarantine or isolate 

▪ Follow-up

▪ Motivational interviewing skills 

▪ Risk communication skills 

▪ Cultural sensitivity 

▪ Adaptations for contacts with communication impairments and non-English speakers

Module 3: Employer versus Employee basics - Day 3

• The employer responsibilities to shield the employee and 3rd parties by creating a safe working environment.
• Employer requirements to do a risk assessment on all the possible scenarios that could arise in the workplace. For example
• Personal Protective Equipment that might have to be provided, hand sanitizers and the necessity to be to be available.
• What action will be required for when contamination has arisen, etc.
• The need of creating new policies, procedures and methodologies to mitigate risk.
• For example: -
• Company employees.
• 3rd parties visiting your company. (representatives, friends, deliveries and so forth).
• Face to face meetings. (reception, boardroom discussions, general workplace discussions
• Identifying and implementing solid structures to mitigate risk and the prerequisites to maintaining a zero-risk environment.
• For example: -
• A daily health assessment declaration for all entering company premises.
• Routine sanitizing of all surfaces.
• Creating a solid awareness program for all in the working environment.
• The employee responsibility to preserve themselves and anyone they come into contact with by maintaining a safe work environment.
• For Example: -
• The need to make the company aware if they have COVID-19 or have been in contact with anyone who has symptoms.
• The need to report to management if they suspect any other employee might have symptoms that might affect the company.
• The need to make the company aware of risk exposure to themselves. For example: - delivery of company goods to 3rd parties, Meeting with representatives, handling of common equipment, etc.
• Understanding the requirements for protecting personal health information
• Overview of health information privacy/security
• Why it is important to protect health information
• Potential consequences if data are not protected
• Health information privacy and confidentiality
• Oath of confidentiality, if applicable in the jurisdiction

• Health information data security 

• Ethics of data collection during an outbreak

Module 4: Basics of Contact Tracing for COVID-19 Day Four

Now that you have learned about the basics of COVID-19, we'll turn our attention to some of the tools being used to stop the spread: contact tracing, isolation, and quarantine. We will also show you how what you've already learned about infection and transmission informs the use of these critical public health tools.

Contact Tracing for COVID-19 Prevention

• Defining Case, Contact, Isolation, and Quarantine
• Calculating Isolation and Quarantine Duration
• Identifying High-Risk Situations
• Summary

5 Practice Exercises

1. Contact Tracing for COVID-19 Prevention (Unlimited Attempts Permitted)
2. Defining Case, Contact, Isolation and Quarantine (Unlimited Attempts Permitted)
3. Calculating Isolation and Quarantine Duration (Unlimited Attempts Permitted)
4. Identifying High-Risk Situations (Unlimited Attempts Permitted)1m
5. Provide Your Feedback on this Module (Required)1m

Steps to Investigate Cases and Trace Their Contacts

In this module, we will walk through the steps of the contact tracing process and provide examples. You will also get to watch demonstrations of basic interactions with a case and a contact.

Unpacking the basic steps

• Observing Basic Case and Contact Calls
• Summary
• The Basic Steps (Unlimited Attempts Permitted)
• Provide Your Feedback on this Module (Required)

Ethics of Contact Tracing and Technological Tools 

In this session, you will learn about the important ethical dimensions of contract tracing, including how we balance the protection of the public's health with limits on personal privacy and autonomy. We'll walk through some specific examples to prepare you for some of the issues contact tracers encounter during the Program of their work.

Contact Tracing as a Common Public Health Tool

• Defining Privacy, Confidentiality, and Other Terms about Ethics
• Balancing Public Good with Privacy, Autonomy, and Confidentiality
• Rationale for Using Technology for Contact Tracing
• Examples of Technology Used for Each Step
• Summary

Practice Exercises

1. Contact Tracing as a Common Public Health Tool (Unlimited Attempts Permitted)
2. Defining Privacy, Confidentiality, and Other Terms about Ethics (Unlimited Attempts Permitted)
3. Balancing Public Good with Privacy, Autonomy, and Confidentiality (Unlimited Attempts Permitted)
4. Rationale for Using Technology for Contact Tracing (Unlimited Attempts Permitted)
5. Examples of Technology Used for Each Step (Unlimited Attempts Permitted)

• Learn what “a day in the life” of a contact tracer looks like by hearing from an experienced contact tracer
• Question-and-answer session 

Apply COVID-19 knowledge and contact training protocol to realistic scenarios

• Review contact tracing protocol
• Apply contact tracing protocol to the following scenarios: o Recent contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19 but no signs/symptoms

o Recent contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19 with signs/symptoms 

o Someone with signs and symptoms of COVID-19 with no history of ill contacts o Feedback from trainer(s)/facilitator(s) • Practice handling difficult calls o Role play with trainer/facilitator feedback

Skills for Effective Communication in COVID-19 interventions- Day Five

Methodology: Virtual coaching and mentoring are suggested to provide opportunities for continuous quality improvement of contact tracing encounters. 

• Listening in on calls for quality
• Using a rubric to documents contact tracers’ competencies and areas for improvement
• Follow up discussion between supervisors and contact tracers on methods to improve the quality of the contact tracing experience

Effective communication is the cornerstone of a successful contact tracing interaction. That includes building rapport with cases and contacts, active listening, and asking the right kinds of questions. In this module, you'll be given several examples of interactions that demonstrate both how and how not to conduct yourself as a contact tracer.

The Importance of Rapport

• Tips for Effective Communication
• Question Types and When to Use Them
• Active Listening: Helping People Feel Heard
• Bringing It All Together into One Communication Framework
• Common Issues and Tips
• Embracing Complexity
• Addressing Process Complexities
• Addressing People Complexities
• Addressing Context Complexities

Practical exercises

• The Importance of Rapport (Unlimited Attempts Permitted)
• Tips for Effective Communication (Unlimited Attempts Permitted)
• Question Types and When to Use Them (Unlimited Attempts Permitted)
• Active Listening: Helping People Feel Heard (Unlimited Attempts Permitted)
• Bringing It All Together into One Communication Framework (Unlimited Attempts Permitted)
• Common Issues and Tips (Unlimited Attempts Permitted)

Final Assessment (Graded)