From the Fannin County Health Authority:
The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) Public Health Region 2/3 has implemented a new policy and will no longer be reporting verified COVID-19 cases to counties via the County Judges or the County Health Authorities. The latest massive surge in new COVID-19 cases has completely overwhelmed the system and the limited resources of region 2/3. DSHS and other Texas public health services have changed their statewide approach to COVID-19 and will be utilizing a new system of monitoring, the Texas Health Trace (THT). This entity will be taking over the monitoring and verification of the COVID-19 cases in Texas. Texas Health Trace is a web-based platform that will centralize the process of case investigation and contact tracing throughout Texas.
In the wake of the change, Dr. Joel G. Massey, MD, MPH, Regional Medical Director for the DSHS Public Health Region 2/3, stated that with the trajectory of so many new SARS-2 positive tests, there is little value in knowing the specific addresses that have Coronavirus cases. According to Dr. Massey, “Every address should be approached by first responders as if there is potential for COVID-19 exposure.” Accordingly, he points out that proper personal protective equipment should be used during all EMT or police emergency actions. When one County Judge pointed out that up-to-date information is critical in making local decisions, Dr. Massey stated it is felt that the new THT system of information consolidation will be a good substitute for the previous system.
Under the THT system, COVID-19 cases can be reported by health departments, health authorities, institutions, individuals or by patients who can also self-report. All Texas Health Departments are required to use THT. DSHS Region 2/3 will use THT for most individual case investigations, although their epidemiology staff might continue to conduct individual case investigations related to facility outbreaks.
According to the DSHS website: “DSHS uses a proven public health tool called contact tracing to help slow and contain the spread of [all] infectious diseases. We are using contact tracing to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in Texas. Contact tracing is a method used to find and follow up with people who have been in close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19 (called a case). People who were around the case, potentially exposed to COVID-19, are called contacts. By tracing the contacts of COVID-19 cases, getting them into quarantine, and when necessary, testing them for infection, we can slow the spread of coronavirus.”
The new THT system has already been instituted but is not yet able to generate local-level reports on active cases in counties or municipalities – it should be capable in the near future. Because of the changes noted, local reports on cases by the Fannin County Health Authority will be more sporadic since information specific to the county will also be more sporadic. It is expected that county officials and individuals can monitor state verified data on active cases of COVID-19 by using the DSHS dashboard link: www.dshs.texas.gov/coronavirus/ . Interested citizens can consult that link as well for base information and trends. It is suggested by Dr. Massey that, as cases increase in prevalence for both small and large counties, regional hospitalization rates are the best indicator of what is going on with COVID-19, not the raw case counts in each county. This data will be a part of the new THT reporting though it was not available in the previous system of information collection.
Please realize that, at present, Texas is setting new records for the state in numbers of COVID-19 cases discovered. Though testing is at an all-time high, which is a good thing, it is also driving the discovery of larger numbers of cases. It must be respected that hospitalizations and ICU admissions are also rising to alarming levels at alarming rates. This fact is a testament to the severity and lethal potential of the SARS-2 virus. Please understand that this novel Coronavirus is different than any virus we have experienced in our lifetime. It is extremely contagious, severely debilitating and can be deadly. Please, for the safety of others and for the good of general public health, be cautious a while longer. Be smart and do your part: masks, hand washing, public distancing and hyperawareness in all public places as we transition to the “new norm”.
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