State epidemiologists, in conjunction with the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG), have developed a way to securely share COVID-19 contact tracing data through an Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) platform.

This information-sharing platform will benefit area residents by rapidly notifying health departments of individuals who may have been exposed to COVID-19 across state lines. Contact tracers can connect with residents quickly to notify them of the exposure and provide guidance for testing and quarantine. The District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia deployed the information-sharing platform this month after extensive testing. The group worked together for several months to develop protocols to share data across jurisdictions. It is the first multi-state data exchange platform for COVID-19 developed nationwide, and APHL is planning to expand the system to additional states.

“APHL is proud of this collaboration. Sharing data across state lines helps paint a more complete picture of potential COVID-19 spread and enables more thorough contact tracing. This project is a great asset to public health,” said Michelle Meigs, interim director of informatics, APHL.

“In our region where people live, work, and play across multiple jurisdictions, it is essential for public health officials to be able to notify potentially exposed individuals as quickly and efficiently as possible,” said Denise Sockwell, Northern Virginia Regional Epidemiologist, Division of Surveillance & Investigation, Virginia Department of Health.

“The ability to exchange data efficiently through a secure platform is critical, and we believe this system will be a major asset for public health departments in our region,” said Marcia Pearlowitz, Deputy Director, Contact Tracing Unit, Prevention & Health Promotion Administration, Maryland Department of Health.

“While our jurisdictions have been regularly sharing information throughout the pandemic, this new platform will take our partnership to the next level as we continue to work together to stop the spread of COVID-19,” said John Davies-Cole, State Epidemiologist, District of Columbia Department of Health (DC Health).     

The new regional project uses the APHL Informatics Messaging Services (AIMS), a secure, cloud-based platform providing shared services for electronic data visualization, interoperability, security, and hosting. The platform securely transmits millions of messages on a monthly basis. AIMS provides interoperability between a variety of transport protocols, which allows a sender using one protocol to send data securely to a receiver that uses another. Following deployment, APHL will continue to provide technical assistance to the states.

COG has been working to connect and support local leaders, including area health officials and state epidemiologists, in their efforts to prepare for and respond to COVID-19—sharing best practices, research, data, and messaging.