The Colonial Coronavirus Corps Can Use Your Help!

Did you know that you can help slow the spread of COVID-19 by volunteering? Here’s how: Become a contact tracer. Contact tracing is essentially detective work. A contact tracer identifies who may have come into contact with an infected person with coronavirus and collects further information about these contacts. It means that as soon as you know of a person who may have coronavirus or has tested positive, and have isolated them so they do not spread it further, you work with that person directly to understand who they have come in contact with. Contact tracers track a spider web of transmission following coronavirus as it spreads from person to person. Each person who’s been infected is asked about their contacts, and then those contacts are notified.

Public health experts have substantial experience in this method but few have ever had to ramp up a contact tracing program as quickly or to staff it to the levels this pandemic requires. This is where you can help. Robert Morris University has created the Colonial Coronavirus Corps—a group of volunteers composed of RMU retirees, current faculty/staff, spouses, and students. Like volunteer firemen, these individuals stand ready to help the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) to do this important work. Sound interesting? Let me share more.

To become a contact tracer is simple. First, you’ll need to join the Colonial Coronavirus Corps. To do that, fill out this form and provide your name, phone number, and email address. Next, you’ll be asked to register with the State Emergency Registry of Volunteers in Pennsylvania. No medical or health background is required. Here’s the link: https://www.serv.pa.gov. Go to the registration page. Under “organizations”, select “Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) then Allegheny County Health Department. Lastly, complete the form. It’s as simple as that.

All training will be provided by ACHD. They will also decide who becomes contact tracers. Please join us in this great work. We look forward to hearing from you soon.