As we look forward to the next stage in lockdown restrictions easing on 12 April, a new online e-learning course designed by experts at the University of Salford and Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership (GMHSCP) is aiming to support businesses to reopen as safely as possible.
The introductory course takes around 90 minutes to complete, and will help individuals and organisations to get to grips with contact tracing as a public health tool to manage the spread of COVID-19. It will clarify how the virus is spread from person-to-person, demonstrate how to carry out effective contact tracing, and explain the role of self-isolation in helping to prevent further transmission.
Dr Cristina Vasilica and Dr Dilla Davis were delighted to lead the project from the University of Salford and collaborate with colleagues Matthew Wynn, Kyle Charnley and the GMHSCP.
They said: “As we continue to move forward over the coming months along the government’s roadmap, the programme will play an important role in ensuring we can continue to safely unlock the economy. We know that these processes are challenging to many people, and at the University of Salford we’ve been pleased to lend our public health and infection control expertise to help develop this resource as a way of helping people understand and comply with best practice.”
Matthew Wynn, expert in infection control said: ”It has been a pleasure working in collaboration with GMHSCP to develop this resource, which will hopefully improve health literacy related to COVID-19 helping optimise the safety of our shared spaces as society reopens’
Harvey Kennedy-Pitt, training and volunteering officer at Greater Manchester Integrated Contact Tracing Hub, said: “We hope this tool will better enable individuals and the organisations they work for to make safe and informed decisions when it comes to COVID-19 over the coming months. In addition, it will help to safeguard businesses, staff, customers, clients, visitors or guests as we begin to reopen.”
Dr Karen Stansfield, associate dean – enterprise and engagement at the University of Salford, said: “The pandemic has challenged us all to think differently and be agile to respond to the issues we have faced often in creative ways. It is fantastic therefore, to see the entrepreneurial leadership of academics at the university coming together with colleagues in GMHSCP using their expertise to develop an e-learning tool that will be of benefit to industry partners and the wider community. Industry collaboration is central to the Enterprise work that we do at the university and we are delighted to have been involved in such a worthwhile initiative that will make a difference.”
You can find out more about the e-learning tool below.
COVID-19: Contact Tracing at the Community Level: https://portal.e-lfh.org.uk/
Programme page: https://www.e-lfh.org.uk/
