It’s Your Call July 2020

OSHA: How does the contact tracing process work?

Local and state health departments use contact tracing to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. If you are diagnosed with COVID-19, a case investigator from the health department may contact you about your health, discuss who you’ve been in close contact with, and ask where you’ve been while you may have been infected. Your close contacts will be notified of their potential exposure without identifying the source. You will be asked to self-quarantine for 14 days, starting from the last date of the potential exposure. FAQs about contact tracing can be found at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/faq.html#Contact-Tracing.

HIPAA: Can our office contact our patients who have recovered from COVID-19 to provide information about donating plasma and blood that may help treat others?

Yes. A covered entity is permitted to identify and contact patients who have recovered without authorization to explain the possibilities of treating others with their COVID-19 antibodies through donations of blood and plasma. The patient must be informed if their name will be disclosed with third parties who are accepting the donations of blood and plasma. The covered entity is also allowed to market a specific donation center if no direct or indirect payment is received from, or on behalf of, the third party that has been described. More information can be found at https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2020/06/12/guidance-on-hipaa-and-contacting-former-covid-19-patients-about-blood-and-plasma-donation.html