COVID-19 Contact Tracing with Coursera The COVID-19 crisis has created an unprecedented need for contact tracing across the country, requiring thousands of people to learn key skills quickly. The job qualifications for contact tracing positions differ throughout the country and the world, with some new positions open to individuals with a high school diploma or equivalent. In this introductory course, students will learn about the science of SARS-CoV-2 , including the infectious period, the clinical presentation of COVID-19, and the evidence for how SARS-CoV-2 is transmitted from person-to-person and why contact tracing can be such an effective public health intervention. Students 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 course will also cover several important ethical considerations around contact tracing, isolation, and quarantine. Finally, the course will identify some of the most common barriers to contact tracing efforts — along with strategies to overcome them. Red Cross Vulnerable Communities Mapping Each year, disasters around the world devastate millions of people. But many communities are missing from the maps that responders use to deliver lifesaving aid.To help get relief into people’s hands, the American Red Cross and partner organizations have launched the Missing Maps project. Using OpenStreetMap, volunteers have put millions of people from high-risk countries on the map since 2014.This makes a lifesaving difference for disaster workers combating deadly health crises like the 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa. And when a 7.8-magnitude earthquake ravaged parts of Nepal in 2015, volunteers worldwide sprang into action to map affected communities and roads to support relief efforts on the ground.  But much work still lies ahead to put more families in the world’s most vulnerable communities on the map—before disaster strikes.  All you need is a computer and an internet connection. Volunteer at home, attend a mapathon or host one with family and friends.

Please see the latest newsletter from our neighboring county CERT organization in Alexandria, VA. There is a great article about the secondary effects of pandemics as it relates to COVID-19. AxCERT-News-2020-03-May-JuneDownload

Dear CERTs: I hope you and your dear ones are well and are weathering these difficult times safely. I thought you would appreciate a report on what your CERT organization has been doing over the last two months or so. I’ve asked the Montgomery CERT COVID19 Task Force to give us a snapshot of their work: CERT COVID19 Task Force- Incident Commander:  Gerry Adcock For the CERT deployment during the COVID virus, I am responsible for leading and tracking the five deployed CERT Sections: Operations, Communications, Planning, Logistics, and VERT (Virtual Emergency Response Team).  With concurrence from the CERT Program Manager, under direction of the MCFRS Division Chief, accountable for developing the IAP for CERT’s response, incident objectives, managing the Section Leads for activities, status reports, and safety of the CERT members.  Working with the Section Leads, I set the operational priorities, deployment of resources, and delivery of services in support of the OEMHS and HHS missions within the County.  Other activities have included providing operational briefings via virtual meetings, communicating daily Sit Reps to the CERT Task Force members, maintaining communications with Team members, and ensuring we continue supporting the mission of the County during the COVID19 response. Operations Section The Operation Section has been tasked with supporting the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) through a few initiatives.  Volunteer Donation Management The Volunteer Donation Management (VDM) team has been responsible for triaging all the incoming offers for personal protective equipment (PPE) and other donation items. One the priority has been established for every donation item, the donor was contacted with instructions on how and where to donate the item(s) or how to request a no-contact pickup from their residence or business.  When a pickup is requested, the Transportation team is notified to facilitate the pickup and delivery.  To address the growing need for an up-county donation center, the VDM team stood up and staffed a donation center at Public Safety Headquarters (PHSQ) in Gaithersburg.  Throughout the month of April this donation center operated on Wednesdays and Saturdays, originally from 0900-1800 but then it was shortened to 0900-1600 as there were few donors in the last two hours of the day.  The VDM team is in the process of evaluating the need for having the donation center at PSHQ for the month of May. To date the VDM team has triaged 458 offers and collected in excess of 30,000 pieces of PPE at the donation center at PSHQ.

Please see the link to the MCFRS File of Life Program for more resources. http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/mcfrs-info/tips/seniors/fileoflife.html

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/managing-stress-anxiety.html#reducing-stress