InsideAPE: Laken Smothers and Contact Tracing for Georgia DPH

Laken Smothers is a rising second-year Epidemiology MPH candidate who spent her summer as a COVID-19 contact tracer for the Georgia Department of Public Health. Her academic interests lie in clinical epidemiology, racial/ethnic disparities in healthcare, and infectious diseases. We asked her a few questions about her summer project and her overall experience at the GDPH. 

1. Tell us about your project

This summer I worked remotely as a COVID-19 contact tracer with the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) for one of my APEs. I served within the Rome district which covers several counties in Northwest Georgia. As a contact tracer I interviewed known contacts about their symptoms and tried to enroll them in DPH’s symptom monitoring program, which allowed the public health department to find out if any contacts had a change in their symptom status during the 14-day monitoring period.

2. How did you find your APE?

I found this APE through Rollins and Handshake. This opportunity was presented to us because many students found it difficult to find APEs after the pandemic began.

3. How was the experience? What were some of your highlights and some of the challenges you faced?

In our classes, we often talk about how to communicate our findings to our peers and colleagues within the public health field. We haven’t really covered how to communicate public health information to the general public. This job allowed me to utilize these skills and try to present rather complicated information in a way that most people can understand without a degree in epidemiology. I also learned how to be adaptable while working in an environment in which the fluidity of the pandemic caused me to have to absorb new recommendations or guidelines weekly.

The highlight of this job for me was being able to help out with the COVID response in a tangible way. At the beginning of the pandemic, I felt a strong urge to find ways to get involved despite the fact that I am a student and only recently entered the public health field. For every challenging call where someone hung up on me or spouted conspiracy theories, there were 20 calls in which people were grateful that we were reaching out, providing resources, and answering their questions. This job also motivated me to revive my Spanish language skills from high school. I covered counties with large Spanish-speaking populations and needed to know more than “Hola” in order to do the job well. I am grateful to be able to say that I have had the opportunity to view public health from the perspective of the local health department and the CDC in my public health career so far.

4. How did you survive lockdown this summer?

I have been surviving this lockdown by running and walking outside. Before the pandemic, I would always say that I hate running but now it helps me stay fit and motivated throughout the day. My other secret to surviving this summer has been cooking even though grocery shopping is its own challenge these days. Meal prepping good meals over the weekend is what keeps me going through the week.

Thanks again to Laken for taking the time to share with us! Stay tuned to The Confounder for more student spotlights.