s e i l i m a f r Ou In this together
Janine Coombs (Skyes, Class of 1983) working as a Case and Contact Management Officer.
We talk to two parents from our Community about what it is like on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic. Janine Coombs (Sykes, Class of 1983) current parent and Korovian, is working as a Case and Contact Management Officer with the Department of Health and Human Services. On secondment from her work as a nurse at Cabrini Hospital in Malvern, she is helping trace coronavirus outbreaks as they occur – a role the DHHS says is “an essential public health tool for controlling infectious disease outbreaks”.
5
Janine says that once a case has been confirmed, the person is called for an interview. “At this point, I have so many questions trying to pinpoint where the virus was contracted. These can be intrusive and personal. We need to determine the date of transmission, first symptoms, people they met, period of time together, transport used… and any other close contacts such as family,” Janine explains. From here, Janine and the team of contact tracing detectives put the pieces together and provide ongoing support and information; she says each case may have a hundred or more close contacts. If transmission has occurred at a workplace, Janine must speak to the employer. “We are very conscious of the impact of any closure,” she says. “Each person affects the train of transmission,” she says. “Only by educating the community can we help stop the spread of this virus.”
