Community members interested in helping assist Callaway County during the pandemic can consider volunteering with the Callaway County Medical Reserve Corps.
The group is currently accepting volunteers to help the Callaway County Health Department with contact tracing.
"We are currently looking for volunteers to help with contact tracking and tracing," Callaway County Emergency Management Director Michelle Kidwell said.
Contact tracers help prevent the spread of COVID-19 by following the tangled web of contact between those potentially exposed to the coronavirus. Whenever a new case is identified, tracers figure out who the infected person has interacted with, reach out to those individuals and encourage them to self-quarantine.
This sort of work requires training and adherence to privacy laws - all potential volunteers must complete an online certification course, register with the Medical Reserve Corps and pass a background check.
The number of COVID-19 cases in Callaway County has been on the rise. As of Friday, there were 86 active cases in the county, with 198 recovered cases and two deaths.
For much of the pandemic, Callaway County Health Department nurses have been handling contact-tracing duties. Recently, Medical Reserve Corps members have joined the effort.
Of the 62 county members, about 12 have volunteered with pandemic-related efforts. Additionally, five new volunteers have started training. They'll hopefully begin pitching in next week.
Anyone interested in undergoing training and joining the effort should call Callaway County Medical Reserve Corps Director Pam Phelps at 573-592-2482.
The Medical Reserve Corps is a national network of volunteers organized into community-based units, which typically work to strengthen public health, improve emergency response capabilities and strengthen resiliency. Volunteers include health care professionals and others.