Pete Meitzner: With COVID-19 clusters, county balances privacy and public health

In nearly 10 years of local elected service to this community, I have never written an opinion column. However, in these unprecedented times, I find it extremely important for our citizens to hear some factual information. To that end, it’s critical that we share essential public information that will keep our community safe, including identifying COVID-19 clusters.

When making decisions about what information to release, officials rely on best practices and past experience with infectious disease clusters. As more information is learned about this coronavirus, the county must continue to balance public health and transparency goals in ways that build on public trust.

Consideration to share information with the public is based on: 1) protecting patient privacy under applicable laws and policies; 2) providing information in the public’s interest; and 3) providing information that promotes public health.

How are clusters identified? While investigating a confirmed case of COVID-19 or any other reportable disease, epidemiologists may discover that two or more cases, which are not part of the same household, were present at the same place and time frame. This is called a cluster, and it represents known transmission of the virus.

Clusters are important to identify because disease control measures implemented at that location can stop other people from being infected. Health Department staff work with the facility to identify close contacts. If all close contacts of a cluster are known, there is no risk to the public. Health Department staff interviews and educates all close contacts, and has them quarantine and get tested. The public may not hear of contained clusters because they are not threatening to the community.

But, if all cases and close contacts are not known in the cluster, in the interest of protecting the community’s health, the Health Department must notify the public. Examples of this are if the cluster is associated with a large community gathering or a business open to the public.

Protecting and improving the community’s health is a main responsibility of Sedgwick County through the local health officer, Board of County Commissioners (which also serves as the Board of Health), public safety departments, and the Sedgwick County Health Department.

The local health officer is the expert on infectious diseases and provides his expertise to the Health Department and the Board of Health. The Board of Health reviews information from the Health Department and other experts, and approves policies that affect the health of our community. A core function of the Health Department is monitoring and containing the spread of more than 50 reportable diseases such as chickenpox, West Nile virus, and now COVID-19.

There are 14 trained epidemiologists and disease investigators who interview every confirmed COVID-19 case and perform contact tracing — interviewing all close contacts and ensuring they are tested to control disease spread. Right now, out of 500,000 citizens in Sedgwick County, this team is monitoring 196 active cases and almost 300 close contacts. New cases are reported every day.

COVID-19 is in our community, spreading, infecting, causing illness, and even worse. We must all work together to keep families, friends, neighbors, and coworkers safe. We don’t know when a treatment or vaccine will be discovered and available. “Ad Astra Per Aspera” — to the stars through difficulty — has never been truer than today. Stay safe, and we will get through this.

This story was originally published April 30, 2020 at 4:56 PM.