PHOENIX — Maricopa County residents who test positive for COVID-19 will now be notified in a text message.
According to the Maricopa County Department of Public Health (MCDPH), COVID-19-positive Maricopa County residents will be advised about what they need to do in the text message. Specifically, the message will include:
● A link to a secure form that will gather initial information and provide infection control guidance
● A phone number to a hotline with medical professionals who can answer questions
● A webpage where residents can verify the text, phone number and link are from MCDPH
Health officials say a person who tests positive will be contacted by a disease investigator who will conduct a thorough interview to learn about their illness and provide more guidance on when to get medical care and how to prevent spread to household contacts and others. The interview will also uncover who may have been exposed, so that contact tracers can follow up with those individuals to advise them of the exposure, what symptoms they need to watch for, when to get tested and how to avoid infecting others.
“News like this can be concerning, and by reaching out via text, we can give our residents detailed information quickly right after they are diagnosed,” said Dr. Rebecca Sunenshine, medical director for disease control at MCDPH. “In addition, if cases provide basic information to Public Health up front through the form, this will speed up the investigation of their case and help our investigators reach more people in a shorter time,” Dr. Sunenshine added.