WAAY 31's Sydney Martin was live outside Huntsville City Hall.
She talked to one man who said he learned he had the virus more than a week ago but is still waiting for a tracer to call.
To call.
Doctor karen landers told me here at city hall today she no longer has a timeline on how long it could take to hear from a contact tracer...as people with coronavirus question it's effecitvness.
"i'll be out of breath when i walk up stairs and sometimes my chest will feel like it's seizing up like i have a straight jacket on."
Eric lindstrom told me he learned he was positive for coronavirus on july 15th...about a week after going to huntsville hospital's flu and fever clinic.
Eric lindstrom, has coronavirus "i tested positive.
They reached out to me saying the state department would contact me with further information and i'm still waiting on that call."
Friday, i asked doctor karen landers why lindstrom is still waiting for that call.
Dr. karen landers, "with widespread community transmission and the numbers we've had it has drastically extended our time to do contact tracing."
Landers wouldn't say how long it's taking..but said they want people who have the virus to take initiative to tell others they've been in contact with.
"we actually have urged people if they have another contact they're aware of outside of the household intimate partner to that person know they are a postive covid-19."
Didn't you ask her about effectiveness?
Lindstrom told me the process seems pretty useless right now.
Eric lindstrom, has coronavirus"it's ineffective right now.
The longer they take, the greater risk of exposure for other people.
People will spread the virus.
Especially asymptomatic people who aren't feeling the symptoms and have no need to get tests."
And if he is contacted, it won't be easy to determine who he was around more than 2 weeks ago eric lindstrom, has coronavirus "i'd have to look at bank statements or something to see where i've been."
Landers told me currently the department of public health is putting an emphasis on having contact tracers contact people who work in correction facilities, long term care facilities or any where they're seeing an outbreak in less than 24 hours after they learn if the positive case in hopes to stop more people from getting sick.
Live in huntsville sm waay 31 news.
As the coronavirus continues to spread, Huntsville High School is dealing with their own uptick in cases.
