Nurse Daniel Salas Jimenez works with patients at a new COVID-19 testing site in the parking lot of Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Monday, Oct. 12, 2020. The testing site is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 8 a.m. to noon. Appointments are required. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
Some testing frustrations persist even as state revamps how communities measure risk
SALT LAKE CITY — Brian and Amy Nicholson have done their best to follow the state health directives throughout the pandemic.
But after their experience this week when they attempted to have their son tested for COVID-19, they’re left wondering if some are really as concerned as state officials repeatedly profess. Even as the state revamped its transmission risk guidelines, testing issues persist.
“It’s not about whether I’m inconvenienced or not,” Amy Nicholson said. “People’s lives are on the line. I’m trying to take it seriously, but when I spend all day and can’t get my son tested, it doesn’t feel like the people in charge are taking it seriously.”
On Wednesday, the state reported 1,144 new cases with a seven-day average for positive tests at 1,204 cases per day. The state reported 8,955 new tests and a positive rate of 13.9%, which is also a seven-day average.
The state reported 259 people hospitalized, which is 10 more than were hospitalized on Tuesday.
The state also reported five new deaths. Salt Lake, Utah, Cache and Wasatch counties all reported deaths. The youngest was a Salt Lake County man between the ages of 45 and 64 who was hospitalized when he died. The others were a Utah County man between 65 and 84 who was hospitalized when he died; a Salt Lake County man between 65 and 84; a Wasatch County woman older than 85 who was in a long-term care facility; and a Cache County man older than 85 who was in the hospital when he died.
To date, 527 Utahns have died from COVID-19 complications.
The Nicholsons’ issues began on Tuesday morning when their 15-year-old called from school to let them know his runny nose and sore throat now included a worsening cough. They picked up their son from school, but because they had a family trip planned this weekend, they decided they needed to get him a COVID-19 test so they’d know if it was just a cold or if they needed to cancel the trip.
What followed was a series of frustrating, time-consuming experiences. Amy Nicholson’s mother suggested they get the teen tested at the North Ogden clinic because she’d gone there for a test and it was a quick drive-thru process.
She called and they told her she needed to get an order from a doctor, which she could do through the COVID-19 hotline. Two different calls to the hotline totaling about two hours of time allowed her to get the QR code she’d need to get her son tested at the clinic’s drive-thru.
“By the time she got the QR code, the clinic was closed,” he said. “The COVID testing closed at 3 p.m. and she got there at 3:45 p.m.”
Brian Nicholson drove his son to Walgreens, which also has drive-thru testing that doesn’t require a doctor’s referral, but they had a sign posted saying they were closed because they’d run out of testing materials due to high demand. He attempted to make an appointment at the Taylorsville Walgreens, but it was in talking with an actual human at the store that he learned those under 18 cannot be tested at Walgreens.
“Since my wife had the order given to her yesterday, we went to the clinic this morning,” Brian Nicholson said Wednesday. “We got there a few minutes early, and got his test done. They gave us a pamphlet with another QR code that would give us the results. I scanned it, and it takes you to a site to download the My Health Plus app with IHC.”
Brian Nicholson created his account, but he had no access to the medical records of his children. He made a phone call where he was told he could call and do it over the phone, which needed to include a video conference where they could take his picture and verify his identity, or go to a provider. After being told the wait online was two hours, he called McKay-Dee Hospital.
“They sent me to a phone number, which referred me back to the hotline where I had to wait for two hours,” he said Wednesday as the family waited for his son’s test results.
“It doesn’t surprise me that the public is skeptical. This kind of madness is creating more skepticism than anything. I’m trying to do all the things I’m supposed to do, all the things Gov. Herbert and Dr. Dunn recommend ... but it doesn’t feel like the state is really concerned about getting everyone tested.”
He questioned why there aren’t multiple testing options after hours, and wondered how anyone can manage the time commitments required to secure a testing opportunity.
“If they want to get kids tested, they should do a better job,” he said. “You have to be committed (if you want a test). And you have to have disposable time. ... I am self-employed; if you had a job that isn’t accommodating, you’re screwed.”
Testing issues have persisted, despite repeated public statements from county and state leaders that testing is available for anyone who wants or needs to be tested. The logistical realities, however, highlight why some might forgo testing, and why some don’t have faith in the numbers being used to place restrictions on people and businesses.
On Tuesday, Gov. Gary Herbert announced a new way to gauge the risk associated with rising COVID-19 case numbers. Instead of a color-coded guide that placed restrictions on the number of people that could gather, even at private family events, the new system combines case counts with positive testing percentages and intensive care unit capacity.
The only counties in the high level of transmission are Salt Lake, Utah, Cache, Juab, Wasatch and Garfield. Under the old guidelines, only Orem and Provo were considered moderate risk, while the others were considered low risk. Now the entire county is under the same risk level.
So how different is the new system from the old? In some ways, there are massive differences. For starters, masks are required in all areas that are determined to have a high level of transmission. But there are no longer restrictions on crowd sizes — at all. Instead, if the gatherings are public, like a high school football game, the organization is required to ask attendees to wear masks and maintain 6 feet between family groups.
An illustration of how the rule changes could impact public events can be taken from a recent controversy. Provo and Orem were recently moved to moderate restriction level by state officials, and therefore Provo High couldn’t have any spectators, including cheerleaders, at its homecoming game.
When school officials attempted to move the game to Spanish Fork so students and parents could attend, it caused public outcry and Nebo School District officials told Spanish Fork they could not allow the schools to use its field.
Under the new rules, Provo, which as part of Utah County is now considered a high level of transmission, could have spectators (no limits on capacity), as long as it requires masks and maintain 6 feet between family groups.
In fact, masks are now required at all public events, regardless of the transmission index. So if you go to a football game in a community with low transmission, a mask is still required.
Casual gatherings, which is when private people get together, are exempted, but those are limited to 10 people in high-risk areas.
Those in the moderate areas are limited to gatherings of 25 people, unless masks are worn. And there is a temporary mask mandate for those living or recreating in a moderate-risk area, if they’re in gatherings of 10 or more through at least Oct. 29.
Testing results still vary, with some people complaining they’ve had to quarantine more than a week while awaiting results. The statewide average turnaround time for test results is 2.2 days, according to Tom Hudachko, spokesman for the Utah Department of Health.
More will be posted throughout the day.
from Deseret News https://ift.tt/3k2Hjtl
No hay comentarios:
Publicar un comentario