Do you qualify to be a coronavirus contact tracer? Here’s a Massachusetts job posting

Earlier this month, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Dr. Robert Redfield said county-to-county contact tracing would be an essential component in reopening the country, McClatchy News reported.

“It is going to be critical,” he said. “We can’t afford to have multiple community outbreaks that can spiral up into sustained community transmission — so it is going to be very aggressive.”

Contact tracing is the process by which people who’ve been exposed to a confirmed positive case of COVID-19 are identified and contacted, according to the World Health Organization.

South Korea, Hong Kong and Singapore — which have been applauded for flattening the curve — have used contact tracing, with South Korea even using extreme tools such as cell phone data, surveillance footage and credit card transactions to track transmission, NPR reported.

In the U.S., parts of Seattle and California used contact tracing early in their outbreaks and now Massachusetts has teamed with Partners in Health, a Boston-based non-profit, to hire and train roughly 1,000 contact tracers, according to the outlet.

But what does it take to be a contact tracer? Here’s what the Partners in Health job posting says.

Contact tracer job responsibilities

Contact tracers with Partners in Health will be required to use a web-based client resource management system to call the contacts of anyone diagnosed with COVID-19, the posting said. Tracers will also refer contacts to testing centers and give them instructions for self-quarantine.

Contact tracers with Partners in Health will adhere to scripts, policies and procedures provided by the organization and be required to use their own telephone, computer and electronic equipment.

Contact tracer job qualifications

Applicants are required to have a high school diploma or equivalent and the ability to speak, read and write in English, the posting said. Critical thinking and good judgment are required and the ability to speak two or more languages is a plus.

The company is also looking for people who can empathize with “distressed individuals” and possess excellent interpersonal skills and the “ability to interact professionally with culturally diverse individuals during a time of crisis and distress,” according to Partners in Health.

Applicants should have either a PC with Windows 10 or a Mac with Apple OS X 10.13, the posting said. A headset is preferred.

You can read the full job posting here.

This story was originally published April 19, 2020 at 1:41 PM with the headline "Do you qualify to be a coronavirus contact tracer? Here’s a Massachusetts job posting."