Testing still limited in Centre County, but that could change soon, Mount Nittany doctor says
Testing for the new coronavirus remains limited in Centre County, but options are “rapidly evolving,” Mount Nittany Health’s chief medical officer said late this week.
The state Health Department and commercial laboratories offer COVID-19 testing, but commercial labs — the primary testing option for most Pennsylvanians — are “taking a very long time,” Mount Nittany Health Chief Medical Officer Nirmal Joshi said Thursday during a Facebook Live.
The turnaround time for commercial labs is about 10 days, while the turnaround time for Health Department tests has been about two days, Joshi said.
Less than two hours after the state Health Department confirmed the first case of COVID-19 in Centre County on Friday, Mount Nittany announced that results for two patients who were tested for COVID-19 within its health system came back positive.
Geisinger developed its own COVID-19 test that was approved by the state Health Department, but Geisinger media specialist Malini Mattler said Tuesday that the health care provider did not receive testing kits from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Results from tests completed at Geisinger are expected to be available within 24 hours, she said. Mount Nittany does not offer in-house testing as of Friday.
“That’d be a wonderful thing for our community if we have access to that,” Joshi said. “... Once that gets freely available, it will be different.”
Who should be tested for coronavirus?
Those who have traveled in countries with widespread ongoing transmission or areas in the United States with “relatively high prevalence” are at a greater risk for infection and should be tested more often, Joshi said.
The CDC has placed the highest travel restrictions on China, Iran, Malaysia, South Korea and most European countries.
New York and Washington have the most reported cases in the United States.
“If you visited one of these places and you only have a fever, we would be much more interested in testing you as opposed to (there being) no exposure and you are a smoker with chronic lung disease who develops a fever, cough and even shortness of breath,” Joshi said. “There’s a plausible explanation for that. ... Those are the types of instances that we are typically not suggesting.”
A limited number of Mount Nittany patients met CDC guidelines to be tested, particularly related to travel, Joshi said. He declined to say about what percentage of patients have been tested.
How are patients tested for COVID-19?
Physicians test for COVID-19 with a deep nasal swab of the uppermost part of the throat, Joshi said.
A health care employee will twirl a sterile cotton-tipped swab in a patient’s nostril, remove it after about 10 seconds and then place it in a vial to be tested.
Patients “absolutely must” have a prescription from a physician to be tested as of Thursday because of testing limitations, Joshi said.
What are the symptoms of COVID-19?
Fever, cough and shortness of breath may appear two to 14 days after exposure, according to the CDC. Those exhibiting symptoms are encouraged to call their health care provider for medical advice.
There is no vaccine to prevent COVID-19. The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to the virus, the CDC said.
Proper hand washing, sanitizing surfaces and avoiding close contact with others are among the most effective ways to prevent the illness.
The state Health Department confirmed 268 cases as of noon Friday, a 45% increase since Thursday.
For most people, COVID-19 causes only mild or moderate symptoms. Older adults and those with existing health problems are at a heightened risk for more severe illness.
This story was originally published March 20, 2020 at 4:27 PM.