01 Dec 2020

 Greater Francistown District Health Management Team coordinator, Dr Botshelo Kgwaadira has applauded the public for cooperating with the COVID-19 task team in its quest to identify close contacts of confirmed COVID-19 cases.

Speaking during an interview with BOPA recently, Dr Kgwaadira said that contact tracing in greater Francistown had been practical and a success in the area by far, adding that most of the cases diagnosed in greater Francistown were through contact tracing.

He said that the main tool for contact tracing was the verbal information of where clients had been, adding that the use of video cameras were useful to check whether the individual adhered to protocols when in public places.

He also noted that Be Safe App had been handy in identifying close contacts as it provided one’s travel history and identified places the patient had visited, which they may have forgotten.

As for the registers, he said that they were only reliable when the client gave the task team the name of the place visited.

However, he said that the only challenge of the two models was being unable to differentiate between close contacts and casual contacts.

Other challenges disrupting contact tracing was limited funding used for tracing contacts, as such required airtime, stationery and transport.

“Delay in the release of results also renders contact tracing futile at times as clients would have travelled to many places before results are released,” he added.

Dr Kgwaadira said contact tracing differentiated close contacts from casual ones in which close contacts were those that had been in direct contact with a positive case or within 1.5 to two metres of a confirmed case for more than 15 minutes.

He said that as a means to limit transmissions of the virus, the Ministry of Health and Wellness targeted to contact trace at least 80 per cent of contacts within 24 hours, and also to test close to 80 per cent of contacts within 24 hours and quarantine all close contacts within a day.

He also added that all close contacts were tested and quarantined as well as isolated once the results confirmed them to be positive. 

Dr Kgwaadira further noted that the patients were isolated at a facility in Matsiloje base camp with a capacity of about 370 beds at full capacity while those that were symptomatic and have underlying conditions were isolated at Ntshe Clinic, which hada capacity of 21 beds.

He said since the emergence of the virus, it was rare to have a contact going unidentified, adding that continuous follow up with home visits and calls were done when a contact cannot be reached.

“There is also inter-district collaboration to identify and follow-up contacts,” he said.

Dr Kgwaadira recognised the DHMT staff in collaboration with BDF and Red Cross in making contact tracing a success in greater Francistown.

He said as of November 26, 18 positive results had been received in which two clients had been transferred out, one home isolated and 15 in facility isolation.

Currently, there were 551 cumulative cases for greater Francistown zone, 43 active cases and four COVID-19 deaths. 

Lastly, Dr Kgwaadira urged the public to continue cooperating with contact tracing team and advised them to follow COVID-19 prevention measures such as washing hands, wearing of masks, social distancing and avoiding unnecessary travels. ends