If you get a call from a company named Maximus Federal related to COVID-19, it’s not a scam, said county Health Administrator Ruth Walters. It’s the agency newly charged with contact …
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If you get a call from a company named Maximus Federal related to COVID-19, it’s not a scam, said county Health Administrator Ruth Walters. It’s the agency newly charged with contact tracing for Warren County.
“One of the things we discussed (with Maximus) is that when they’re making the phone call, the patient doesn’t know if they’re legitimate,” Walters said. “People were afraid that they were some type of scam.”
That’s why the health department is trying to raise awareness that Maximus has taken over contact tracing for the county as of Dec. 7. The agency is helping multiple regional governments to notify people when they’ve been in close contact to a COVID-19 case.
Walters said Maximus employees will always identify their company and that they’re calling on behalf of the health department. She added that Maximus and the county health department meet twice each week for operational updates.
“We want to get the word out that when people get a phone call from Maximus Federal, that they answer the call,” Walters said. “People are confused, and I get that, because of the different scam people calling this time of year. We welcome their phone call to make sure it’s legit.”
The number for Maximus Federal will likely show up as 1-833-431-2201 on caller ID.
Health department officials are worried about how many people are going to ignore health directives and gather in large family groups over the holidays.
“I’m concerned about increased transmission during the holiday season and people gathering indoors with people outside of their immediate household,” Walters said. “People tend to think that because they are getting together with extended family and friends, that it is safe because they know them. But people can transmit COVID-19 two days before they are showing symptoms.”
An increasing number of social gatherings and events is also concerning, Walters said. The health department is strongly advising everyone to take precautions, wear masks, wash hands and sanitize surfaces frequently.
“We want to do our part to help reduce the burden on our regional healthcare facilities and providers,” Walters said.
Health departments in several area counties are warning residents to wear masks any time they interact with people outside their immediate household. This includes at family gatherings. People are advised to limit gatherings to small groups for shortened durations.
Serving plated meals, instead of buffets, to avoid everyone handling the same utensils is also recommended.
The Missouri National Guard conducted free COVID testing at the Warren County Fairgrounds Dec. 11. The drive-thru testing site collected test kits from 297 Warren County residents. The testing event was conducted in partnership with the county health department and state Department of Health and Senior Services. It’s the second mass testing in the county this year.
“We asked them to come out again. We would have liked to have them right after the Thanksgiving get-togethers,” Walters commented.
These tests are being processed directly by the state lab, Walters said, so people should get notified of their results relatively quickly.
Anyone who receives notification of a positive COVID test should isolate for at least 10 days from when they first experienced symptoms, according to the health department.
Information from private lab testing, on the other hand, is slow to reach local health officials right now, the health department said Sunday. That means contact tracers might not immediately be notified of some local COVID patients.
Anyone who receives positive test results, but doesn’t hear from contact tracers right away, should notify their own close contacts of the situation and advise them to quarantine, the health department said.
