Coronavirus testing: Here’s who should get it and how to be recommended for it
Fresno County health officials acknowledge “frustrations” surrounding the availability of test kits for coronavirus and said they’re using their limited resources “judiciously.”
In the weeks since COVID-19 first arrived in Fresno, readers have flooded Bee inboxes with anecdotes of being turned away for tests and asking how to get tested.
At a media briefing Friday afternoon, health officials said about 200-300 Fresno County residents have been tested. On Friday, there were six confirmed cases in Fresno County. Five were travel-related, and the sixth was from direct contact from someone who tested positive and is living in the Bay Area. Health officials said so far, no cases here are from “community spread,” meaning someone picked up the germ from an unknown source in the community.
Fresno isn’t the only place dealing with the test shortage. It’s a problem across California and nationwide.
County health officials said about half of the 550 people being monitored for coronavirus have made it through their 14 days of self quarantine. They were being monitored because they returned to the county from high-risk areas.
So who can get tested, and where and why?
Who qualifies for a test?
Fresno County’s interim health officer, Dr. Rais Vohra, defined who is considered high-risk for coronavirus infection and might need a test.
High-risk people are those who traveled to areas with a large concentration of cases; people who had direct contact with patients who tested positive; and people who have a high risk of passing COVID-19 on to a large number of people. That could include health care workers, first responders or others who “work on the front lines,” he said.
If people in the community fear they have coronavirus, the best thing they can do is stay home, he said.
“Those are the kinds of criteria that we have set in place because we know that lab testing is limited,” he said. “And I know that’s frustrating a lot of people, but we’re trying to work within those limitations as best as we can to try to really judiciously use the resources that we have.”
Initially, the county was only testing people who returned from travel, said David Pomaville, director of the Fresno County Health Department. Now, they’re becoming more inclusive in who gets tested, he said.
“I think what gets lost here is the minute you become symptomatic, the most important step you need to take is not being tested, it’s to isolate yourself at home,” Vohra said.
Where are the tests administered?
Health officials have been careful not to publicly say exactly where testing is happening.
Fresno-area hospitals are administering the tests. The county health department has a location where health department employees administer the tests. The health department is working to bring two clinics online so they can begin testing, as well. Vohra said he saw on his way to work an urgent care set up a tent outside to begin testing.
Pomaville said he’s working everyday to find new partners to administer the tests.
There are also private labs testing people, but Pomaville said the health department doesn’t know how many tests they’ve administered.
Who determines if you should get a test?
Medical providers determine if their patients need a test. County health officials communicate with medical providers through health advisories and weekly conference calls. Physicians discuss with the county’s health officer to determine which patients should get tested.
When will more tests be available?
Health officials say they’re aggressively pursuing the supply chains for tests and other medical supplies.
Rep. Jim Costa, D-Fresno, said what’s already happened with testing in the U.S. is water under the bridge. Now, the country is playing catch-up. Costa said he is confident the federal government will commit to doing the right thing.
He estimates within two weeks things will look much brighter in terms of testing.
Costa is working to get more testing kits to the Valley, he said: “We need to have testing, testing and more testing.”
This story was originally published March 20, 2020 at 7:25 PM.