Coronavirus testing in SLO County could take days. Here’s what you can do to stay safe
People with flu-like symptoms who may want to get checked for the coronavirus can’t receive test results quickly from any San Luis Obispo County hospital, because samples must be sent to testing labs out of state.
San Luis Obispo County Health Officer Penny Borenstein said in an email Wednesday that “there have been no patients to date in SLO County who meet criteria for (coronavirus) testing.”
Should there ever be a need for testing for the virus, the Centers for Disease Control — the federal public health agency based in Atlanta — would be the lab location where samples could be analyzed, Borenstein said.
Technical problems affecting accuracy in the first set of kits sent out nationwide have also contributed to a bottleneck in testing nationwide.
But CDC officials informed state officials late Wednesday that the agencies have resolved the issues with the test kits, NPR reported Thursday.
“The County of San Luis Obispo Public Health Lab has requested and is expecting to receive test kits for (coronavirus),” said Rick Rosen, the county’s deputy health officer. “Once we receive those test kits, testing will be performed locally. Positive test results must then be confirmed by the CDC.”
SLO County health officials in contact with hospitals
Borenstein said local health care providers are in communication with the County Public Health Department “for each occasion that they think someone might warrant testing.”
The NPR story noted that “40 labs — local and state public health labs as well as select department of defense labs — across the U.S. are already authorized to start using the modified test, and all 93 labs should be able to start testing by next week,” according to U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar.
Quickly analyzing tests helps to determine if the virus is spreading, health officials say.
Resolving the testing problems comes at a critical time, after a man in Solano County in Northern California was diagnosed with the virus. That case is unusual because the man told hadn’t traveled recently and wasn’t sure how he was exposed, indicating an unknown origin.
Borenstein said public health officials have no reason to suspect coronavirus is present in SLO County at this time.
Coronavirus prevention includes flu shot, handwashing
Conoravirus symptoms range from mild to severe illness and include fever, coughing and shortness of breath, according to the CDC’s website.
SLO County Public Health advises measures locals can take to prevent contracting the virus, including the following, which are the same for other respiratory diseases:
▪ Get your flu shot to protect against influenza, which can produce symptoms similar to the novel coronavirus.
▪ Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
▪ Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
▪ Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
▪ Stay home when you are sick.
▪ Cover your cough or sneeze.
▪ Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
▪ Avoid nonessential travel to China and South Korea, for the time being. Think twice about travel to other countries where community spread is present (Level 2 travel advisories).
What to do if you have flu-like symptoms
Rosen said that anyone with flu-like symptoms including fever, cough, muscle aches, fatigue and a runny nose should rest at home, drink plenty of fluids, and try to avoid contact with other people until feeling better and the fever has gone.
But in some cases, people should seek medical care sooner.
Those include people 65 and older, or infants under the age of 2, with chronic medical conditions like diabetes, heart or lung disease, or immune compromised conditions that require treatment with immunosuppressive medications.
“At this time, it is far more likely that person has influenza than (coronavirus),” Rosen said. “And that statement is true for those with recent international travel, as well.”
The CDC also recommends steps for prevention and treatment, as well as what to do if someone suspects they are sick with coronavirus symptoms.
But those who have traveled within the past 14 days to countries with travel advisories — such as China, South Korea, Iran, Italy, Japan, Hong Kong, Macau and Mongolia — should contact the SLO County Health Department.
“If an individual is planning on being seen by his/her physician, urgent care, or the emergency department for flu-like symptoms, it is a good idea to call first for specific instructions before presenting for care,” Rosen said.
Calling can help the office take steps to keep other people from getting infected or exposed.
For more information, go to the CDC’s website.
This story was originally published February 27, 2020 at 12:55 PM.
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