No known cases as testing continues
Adventist Health expects 'no shortage of testing kits'
LAKE COUNTY >>
As the coronavirus on Friday prompted a national state of emergency declaration from President Trump and was reported to have killed five in California, still no cases of the virus were yet known in Lake County, where a countywide emergency declaration was issued Tuesday.
In a pair of March 12 press releases, Lake County Public Health Officer Dr. Gary Pace addressed concerns about the availability of testing for COVID-19 (the official name of the virus) and proactive measures to take in order to reduce the risk of spread.
“There is no known community spread,” Pace said, “but there may be some people with the virus in our county that we haven’t been aware of. At (the Lake County Public Health Department), we have been monitoring some returned travelers, and following some sick people who have been tested, but so far there have been no positive cases here.”
Categorizing Lake County residents as being “at low risk of getting coronavirus,” Pace noted that while testing for the illness has been conducted—
with no tests coming back positive to date—the number of tests available has been “limited.”
“The labs are extremely limited in their capacity to process the specimens,” Pace said. “The system has bottlenecked. As issues in processes are being worked on, the processing of specimens is slowly improving.”
Pace noted that the county department of health has been able to get test results back two days after receiving samples, while the private lab Quest Diagnostics, which is providing testing serves to Lake County, was experiencing about a seven day turnaround.
“Due to this turnaround time, providers are prioritizing patient testing,” Pace said. “Generally, that means that people who are at high risk—having travelled to impacted countries, been exposed to a case, work in high risk situations, or are very sick (hospitalized intubated) are the ones that are getting tested first.”
The slow rate of testing means not everyone can easily access a test who may want one. In California by Friday morning, the staterun public health labs had conducted fewer than 1,600 tests for the coronavirus.
But the local availability of testing appears to be increasing.
Lakeport-based registered nurse Mark Goodman said that after returning to Lake County on Sunday from a trip with Norwegian Cruise Line, he was instructed by his employer to self-quarantine for 14 days. Goodman said he had trouble accessing a coronavirus test early in the week, but on Wednesday was able to have his primary care physician use a test from Quest Diagnostics, and was relieved to receive a negative result by Friday.
Goodman’s doctor, who preferred not to be named in this article, said the process of getting a test kit and receiving results was “pretty smooth.”
At Adventist Health’s Clear Lake Hospital, Public Information Officer Laurie Allen said on Friday that enough test kits are available to handle the hospital’s expected future demand.
“We have no shortage of testing kits,” Allen said, noting that the hospital is following state guidelines that have recommended “testing only those that fall within the parameters of needing the testing,” like individuals who have travelled to highrisk countries in the past 14 days or been in contact with someone who has, for example.
Allen noted that testing can happen at labs within the hospital, and does not need to be performed outof-county.
Sutter Lakeside Hospital in Lakeport did not return requests for comment on its coronavirus response.
The coronavirus, which has been documented as affecting the elderly, especially those with underlying medical conditions, more severely, has prompted the cancellation of numerous local events.
The Lucerne Alpine Senior Center made the call early this week to close its doors “with a couple of exceptions” until March 29. Acting Director Richard Radovic said that “we just don’t want to run the risk of anybody getting the coronavirus.”
Dr. Pace wrote on Thursday that Lake County’s elderly population is a “particular concern” to the public health department.
“With no cases currently identified in the county, but with the situation worsening in the larger Bay Area, we are recognizing that we are in a unique situation and that limiting large group gatherings may allow us to prevent the virus from getting a solid foothold here, or at least slow down the process, and thus minimizing impact on the healthcare system. Our particular concern is our most vulnerable populations—the seniors and people with underlying medical condition.”
“Overall,” Pace continued, “we want to continue to try to walk the line between adequate, reasonable preparation for what may come down the road, without causing unnecessary concern or panic. We live in a resilient community with reasonable, practical leadership. If we are very lucky, this outbreak may pass by Lake County without significant impact, but we appreciate the diligent efforts by so many of our community agencies and partners to prepare for the possibility that we do begin seeing cases.”
Pace also provided the following recommendations to the public:
“What happens if you have a fever, cough, shortness of breath (the symptoms of the coronavirus):
a. We recommend that you do not go to work or school if you are experiencing symptoms of the coronavirus. If you need to go out in public, wear a surgical mask and wash hands regularly to prevent spread.
b. If the illness is mild/ moderate, it is best to stay home until your fever has resolved for 24 hours, and cough has subsided.
c. You may want to call your medical provider and see if they have any recommendations. However, since there is no antibiotic or cure, there is generally no reason to go to the clinic or Emergency Department unless you are having significant shortness of breath and need some attention and/or hospitalization. Please call in beforehand and let them know if you are coming in with a cough.
d. Testing will generally be reserved for critically ill or high-risk patients.”