Can I get tested for coronavirus in Middle GA? It’s possible if you meet these guidelines

Middle Georgia counties have not had any of the 146 confirmed cases of the new coronavirus in Georgia, but healthcare facilities, like Coliseum Medical Centers, are taking precautions to prevent outbreaks in their facilities and are testing people for the illness.

Michael Hokanson, public information officer for the North Central Health District, said several people in Middle Georgia have been tested for COVID-19, but did not say how many. The first step people should take if they have coronavirus symptoms is to call their local healthcare provider, Hokanson advised.

“COVID-19 testing is not done at the county health departments at this time. All testing goes through hospitals, urgent care centers, physicians, things like that,” he said. “If you believe that you’re ill, contact the healthcare provider that you would like to visit before you go, that way they can put specific infection control measures in place if you are infectious, that way they can prevent the spread of illness at the facility itself.”

Once a patient is at a health care provider, a physician will get information about symptoms, contacts and other information related to the possible transmission of COVID-19 and consult with a DPH medical epidemiologist about the need for testing. At this time, only certain people will be tested for COVID-19:

• Symptomatic individuals
• People age 60 and older
• People with existing medical conditions
• People with contact to confirmed cases of COVID-19

If it is determined that the person meets the criteria for a test, then samples are collected and sent to the Georgia Public Health Lab. The physician may decide, instead of using the GPHL, that a private lab should be used. Individuals who do not meet these criteria will not be tested at this time. Doctors take a nasal or oral swab for sample collection and send it off to either GPHL or one of the private labs, like LabCorp and Quest.

The screening process is rigid because there is a limited capacity for testing, Hokanson said, noting that Georgia could test 100 people per day as of March 14.

Taking precautions

Several hospitals and medical facilities have limited their visitation policies due to the coronavirus, including Navicent Health, Coliseum Medical Centers, Coliseum Northside Hospital and Fairview Park Hospital.

Dr. Richard Rubio, Chief Medical Officer at Coliseum Health System, said they have implemented a screening process at the entrances of their hospitals, similar to Navicent Health’s screening process.

The hospitals will have a greeter at the main entrance and the emergency room entrance to ask people questions about their symptoms and determine whether they should be moved to a designated area for potential coronavirus cases.

Before going to the hospital, a patient with mild, flu-like symptoms should treat the virus just like the flu in that they should rest, hydrate and stay at home, Rubio said.

A patient who is experiencing shortness of breath should go to the hospital, but if a patient is unsure whether their symptoms require hospital assistance, they can call Coliseum’s nurse hotline at (478) 746-4646, he said.

When the patient arrives at the hospital, they will meet the greeter at the door and be given a mask before being taken to the designated area.

How to protect yourself

“The most important thing is keeping your hands clean, keeping your distance from other people,” Rubio said.

The virus is transmitted through droplets that are created through coughing and sneezing. These droplets can travel up to six feet before hitting the ground, which is why social distancing is recommended, Rubio said.

Elderly people and those with immunodeficiencies are especially at risk for a severe case of the new coronavirus, and shortness of breath, coughing and a fever are the main symptoms of the virus.

“It’s a challenging time for everybody,” he said. “As a society, we need to also take care of ourselves and those around us, and that means if you feel sick, don’t expose yourself to other individuals, so I think it’s kind of all of our duty as citizens that we need to be mindful of that. While we might not necessarily feel too bad, we could be exposing ourselves or the virus to people who could get potentially very sick.”

This story was originally published March 18, 2020 at 5:00 AM.