Low demand for local testing
♦ While still only for certain cases, free testing is available at sites across the region.
In the early days of the COVID-19 outbreak, testing in the United States was slow to ramp up and the general feeling was people wanted to be tested as quickly as possible.
While widespread testing for the new coronavirus is not yet available in Northwest Georgia, the measures that have been taken to provide free testing for those exhibiting symptoms and who are more susceptible to the disease have been met with a lower than expected response.
Logan Boss, communications director for the Northwest Georgia District Public Health, said they have been caught off guard by the numbers since they expanded testing more than two weeks ago.
“I would say that we are a little bit surprised that the demand and interest in testing is not greater than it is,” Boss said.
He said they are prepared to offer tests at remote sites in Floyd, Bartow, Walker and Paulding counties to those who are screened by the Georgia Department of Public Health or a physician.
Statewide nearly 13,000 new tests were reported to the Georgia Department of Public Health’s website Tuesday, the most in a single day since the coronavirus pandemic began.
Initially, the state was testing only elderly Georgians and those with chronic illnesses, considered the most vulnerable to contracting COVID-19, as well as healthcare workers and first responders likely to be exposed to the virus.
On Monday, Gov. Brian Kemp said testing has been ramped up to the point that all Georgians showing symptoms can and should be tested.
There’s also enough capacity to test Georgians without symptoms if they are healthcare workers, first responders, law enforcement personnel or residents or staff of a longterm care facility, he said.
“We are making significant progress,” Kemp said Tuesday. “We are pushing our testing capacity to the max. … We have the sites, the physicians and the tests. We just need more Georgians to participate.”
Anyone who exhibits symptoms, such as a fever, dry cough, or shortness of breath, is eligible. Priority, however, will be given to the listed at-risk groups — regardless of whether they exhibit symptoms.
Area residents can call the Northwest Georgia Health District COVID-19 Testing Line at 706-802-5329 from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday to be screened. People can also email district1-1.eoc@ dph.ga.gov and include a name and phone number.
Boss said the decrease in the initial public concern about the virus could be part of why there has been less of a demand, but they are not certain.
“Really we don’t know why the demand is not at a higher level. Perhaps that will turn out to be a good thing.
But ultimately we know we need to do more testing to determine if people have the virus and do more antibody testing to determine if people have had the virus and recovered,” Boss said.
The number of COVID-19 cases in Floyd County remained at 134 on Tuesday.
On Monday, another fatality was reported, bringing the number of Floyd County residents who have died from the disease to 11. On Tuesday, 36 local residents were under hospital care due to the disease caused by the new coronavirus, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health.
The fact that reported cases in Floyd County and some surrounding counties are leveling off is a sign of encouragement for Boss and DPH officials, but he warns that we are not out of the woods yet in terms of the pandemic.
He said the assumed reproductive rate of COVID-19 is 2.5, meaning each person infected will transmit the disease to an average of 2.5 people during the time they have it. To put it in perspective, the common cold has a rate of 2, while measles has a rate of 18. The SARS coronavirus that circulated in the early part of the century had a rate of between 2 and 5.
“That is why it’s so important people not let their guard down as we come out of lock down and continue to practice safe physical distancing, avoid crowds, etc.,” Boss said in a statement.
“The virus is still circulating in our community and will do so at about this rate until we get enough of the population vaccinated, assuming we someday get a vaccine, or until the virus infects enough of the population, likely 6070%, to create so-called herd or community immunity.
“We’re a long way from either,” he said.
The DPH has set up West Rome Baptist Church on Shorter Avenue as a remote testing site in Floyd County. Boss said eligible people can be referred to any of the sites, whether they live in the county it is in or not.
Expanding the test criteria and allowing more public access to testing is not out of the question, he added.
“Our focus still is protecting the people at the most risk for contracting the virus and having serious complications as a result of it,” Boss said. “We’re doing everything we can to not only protect but test people who live in long-term health care facilities, but we know people who do not live or work in those places can still get infected.”
Boss said they have plenty of tests and capability to have the tests completed, so there is no issue with availability, but it would have to come down from the state to open up testing to more people.