Connecticut’s Fight Against COVID-19

Working and learning together has led to a successful virus response

Connecticut has had one of the best responses to the coronavirus pandemic so far. Given where we are now versus where we were at the same time in April, it seemed destined to happen. But it wasn’t. As each step was taken over the course of the last five months, no one had any idea what would work and what wouldn’t. That’s the very nature of an unprecedented pandemic. Fortunately, the combined efforts of everyone from the Governor to everyday Connecticut residents have made our response successful.

The first factor in this was trusting the experts. One could look at the actions taken by the science community – specifically organizations like the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers For Disease Control (CDC) – and those taken by Connecticut would be in step. By mid-March, WHO was ready to label the virus a pandemic, and Connecticut had just taken steps to declare a civil preparedness and public health emergency.

When it became clear that the CDC was recommending that people wear cloth masks in order to stop the spread of the virus, the state responded by mandating mask wearing in public far sooner than a majority of other states. Some still do not have mask orders.

And the difference that this has made in the public response has been overwhelming. Self-reported statistics have shown that Connecticut residents largely wear a mask every time they leave the house. From data gathered by the New York Times, anywhere between 66% and 95% of Connecticut residents will always have a mask on if they leave the house. For the most part, those who rarely or never wear masks amount to less than 15% of the population.

The state was quick to ramp up production and execution of testing sites throughout the state. According to the New York Times, the United States as a whole was hitting 36% of the testing target over a two-week period in July. In that same two-week period, Connecticut hit 457% of the testing target. The percent positive rate was around once percent, while the states being hit hardest over the summer – Arizona, Florida, and South Carolina – saw positive rates of 26%, 19%, and 17%, respectively.

Having this information is key, and it allows for robust and accurate contact tracing. This process in which people who are infected can anonymously let those they’ve come in close contact with, can effectively limit transmission. Before symptoms arise, people can still shed the virus, infecting others. Even in cases where those who have the virus without symptoms could be spreading it around without knowing it. A good contact tracing system will notify those that need to be tested after coming into contact, and if positive, those who need to quarantine themselves.

Connecticut has had one of the best responses to the coronavirus pandemic so far. Given where we are now versus where we were at the same time in April, it seemed destined to happen. But it wasn’t. As each step was taken over the course of the last five months, no one had any idea what would work and what wouldn’t. That’s the very nature of an unprecedented pandemic. Fortunately, the combined efforts of everyone from the Governor to everyday Connecticut residents have made our response successful.

The first factor in this was trusting the experts. One could look at the actions taken by the science community – specifically organizations like the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers For Disease Control (CDC) – and those taken by Connecticut would be in step. By mid-March, WHO was ready to label the virus a pandemic, and Connecticut had just taken steps to declare a civil preparedness and public health emergency.

When it became clear that the CDC was recommending that people wear cloth masks in order to stop the spread of the virus, the state responded by mandating mask wearing in public far sooner than a majority of other states. Some still do not have mask orders in place despite the CDC arguing in mid-July that the pandemic could be halted in just over a month if everyone wore a mask.

And the difference that this has made in the public response has been overwhelming. Self-reported statistics have shown that Connecticut residents largely wear a mask every time they leave the house. From data gathered by the New York Times, anywhere between 66% and 95% of Connecticut residents will always have a mask on if they leave the house. For the most part, those who rarely or never wear masks amount to less than 15% of the population.

The state was quick to ramp up production and execution of testing sites throughout the state. According to the New York Times, the United States as a whole was hitting 36% of the testing target over a two-week period in July. In that same two-week period, Connecticut hit 457% of the testing target. The percent positive rate was around once percent, while the states being hit hardest over the summer – Arizona, Florida, and South Carolina – saw positive rates of 26%, 19%, and 17%, respectively.

Having this information is key, and it allows for robust and accurate contact tracing. This process in which people who are infected can anonymously let those they’ve come in close contact with, can effectively limit transmission. Before symptoms arise, people can still shed the virus, infecting others. Even in cases where those who have the virus without symptoms could be spreading it around without knowing it. A good con- tact tracing system will notify those that need to be tested after coming into contact, and if positive, those who need to quarantine themselves.

Having this information is key, and it allows for robust and accurate contact tracing. This process in which people who are infected can anonymously let those they’ve come in close contact with, can effectively limit transmission. Before symptoms arise, people can still shed the virus, infecting others. Even in cases where those who have the virus without symptoms could be spreading it around without knowing it. A good contact tracing system will notify those that need to be tested after coming into contact, and if positive, those who need to quarantine themselves.

On the municipal level, New Haven was off to a jump start on contact tracing, which earned them coverage abroad on BBC.com. As a state, the initiative known as ContaCT, was off to a rocky start, but as it hired more individuals, it was able to contact trace, 40%, then 50%, 90%, and now, 100% of cases according to covidactnow.org.

Connecticut as a whole has also learned from mistakes; an unfortunate side-effect of being one of the first states hit with this virus. No one quite knew or was prepared for how the virus would spread in nursing homes for instance. Connecticut has clearly learned from those mistakes and how to pivot throughout this pandemic.

On the municipal level, New Haven was off to a jump start on contact tracing, which earned them coverage abroad on BBC.com. As a state, the initiative known as ContaCT, was off to a rocky start, but as it hired more individuals, it was able to contact trace, 40%, then 50%, 90%, and now, 100% of cases according to covidactnow.org.

In one of the Governor’s Coronavirus updates in early August, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Dr. Anthony Fauci had lauded Connecticut’s response to the pandemic and continued efforts, saying “You’re not pulling pack on your vigilance, and making sure you don’t have a resurgence of cases that would put you back.”

As the nation’s most vocal expert on infectious disease, Fauci’s commendations carry an extra weight. Connecticut is no longer at the US epicenter of the pandemic, but the country and Connecticut still have a long way to go before this virus is contained. As other states are experiencing record numbers of cases, and we approach the fall flu season, there are many large challenges ahead for our state, and we must remain vigilant. Lessons learned over the previous months, should prepare and steel the state for what lies ahead.