CDC Sending Epidemiologists to Help COVID Response

The Chelan-Douglas Health District will be receiving help from the CDC in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic beginning Monday.

Dr. Peter Houck, who is assisting the CDHD in the response, says six Spanish-speaking epidemiologists will be in the area for three weeks.

"What we have asked them to do specifically is to take a very close, very detailed look at the epidemiology of COVID in the Latino community. Also survey the community and then use the data and information from those two activities to develop very specific, hopefully very effective intervention measures."

Houck says the epidemiologists will also discuss the vaccine and willingness for the community to take it.

Four of the epidemiologists are coming from the CDC base of Atlanta.

"It's an extraordinarily impressive resource that we've been able to obtain. It's a very expensive resource. They have been working in similar situations in the Central Valley in California and in some agricultural areas on the East Coast."

The CDC has also sent epidemiologists to the Yakima Valley and Seattle.