Is there an association between the timing of exposure to and severity of COVID-19 disease in close contacts of index patients with COVID-19?

New research from the University of Georgia suggests COVID-19 is most contagious in a short window before -and after- symptoms appear.

The findings suggest individuals with COVID-19 are most likely to spread the virus to close contacts...2 days before the onset of symptoms to...3 days after

symptoms appear. Also, the risk of transmission is highest when patients had mild or moderate disease severity. Could these findings help contact tracing efforts?

Dr. Ye Shen, associate Professor of Epidemiology and Biostatistics in the College of Public Health at UGA talked about the study.

Also, the Georgia Legal Services Program marks 50 years of helping low-income Georgians. (GLSP) will host the virtual Rural Georgia Justice and Poverty Summit on Friday, September 17th.

It's part of the organization's 50th anniversary celebration. Their work centers around free legal services to low income Georgians with low incomes who reside outside metro Atlanta.

Those services are in the in the areas of family law, housing, access to public benefits, eviction prevention, farmworkers rights, and access to education. Executive director Rick Rufolo talks the history of the organization and shares how the legal work has had an impact on the quality of life for those served.

Also in this episode, Fulton County's Board of Elections has a new chairperson. It’s Cathy Woolard. Woolard's nomination and appointment is controversial because of her past work as a

consultant for Fair Fight Action, a voting rights organization founded by Democrat Stacey Abrams. The Fulton Commission vote was 4-2, with Democratic commissioner Khadijah Abdur-Rahman crossing party lines to vote no. She tells Closer Look host Rose Scott why Woolard’s appointment could lead to the state taking over the county election’s department.

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