Here’s how to get tested for coronavirus in Wake County
As the number of coronavirus cases continues to rise, Wake County has released a detailed explanation on how to get tested.
The details were included in updated recommendations for health-care providers on Monday.
More than a dozen people in Wake County have tested positive for COVID-19, with more than three times that many reported throughout the state.
The risk of getting COVID-19 in Wake County remains low, the county said in a news release, but people should continue washing their hands, not touching their face and practicing social distancing. That means avoiding large gatherings — which have mostly been banned in North Carolina — and staying six feet away from people.
There are two avenues for getting testing in Wake County: through the Wake County Public Health Division or a private health-care provider.
Wake County testing
The Wake County health department will test people who have traveled to a high-risk area.
If a person has been identified as a contact of someone who tested positive for COVID-19, Wake County will reach out to that person in a phone call. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention define close contact as being within six feet of someone with the disease for a “prolonged period of time” or getting directly sneezed or coughed on.
The person will be screened on the phone and asked about any symptoms, such as coughing, sneezing or having a fever. That helps Wake County figure out “the appropriate next steps,” according to the press release. Depending on the results people could be quarantined at home or told to self-monitor, meaning they watch themselves for new symptoms or fevers.
Healthcare provider testing
A health-care provider can test a person who has symptoms but hasn’t traveled to a high-risk area or hasn’t been identified by the health department as a contact to a known case. But, the county said, the healthcare provider should follow Wake County’s guidelines.
“If a patient is exhibiting symptoms such as fever, cough and shortness of breath and there is a clinical suspicion of COVID-19 infection, the healthcare provider should test the patient for flu,” according to the news release.
If the flu test is positive, the patient doesn’t need a COVID-19 test, according to Wake County.
If the flu test is negative and the health-care provider thinks it could be COVID-19, the patient should be tested. The patient should self-quarantine at home until the result comes back.
If the result comes back negative, a person can be released from quarantine.
If the result comes back positive, Wake County will contact the patient to get information about their movements while contagious, whom they may have had contact with and who else might be infected.
The patient will be put in isolation, which is defined as separating a sick person from healthy people even in the same home. This could mean in a “sick room.”
There’s a national shortage of test kits and some health-care providers and urgent-care centers may not have the kits. People are asked to call a doctor ahead of time to let them know they may have COVID-19 to help them protect themselves and other patients.
Health-care providers should not refer patients to the health department for testing, and “only seriously ill people who need hospitalization should be referred to a hospital for coronavirus testing,” according the news release.
Cases in Wake County
More than a dozen people in Wake County have tested positive for the disease, according to Wake County Manager David Ellis. He outlined the “whirlwind” of developments since Wake County’s first case of COVID-19 — the first for the state — during a Wake County Board of Commissioners meeting Monday.
“The safety of our residents is our primary focus,” Ellis said. “Looking forward, our priority is to prevent a rapid spike of cases that could overburden our health-care system infrastructure. Slowing the spread of COVID-19 is critical to keeping our health-care system intact as we travel the course of this virus.”
As of Monday morning, Wake County has submitted 65 lab samples and received 44 results back, he said, adding that 13 people are still under investigation.
And more than 350 people are being monitored, he said.
“Monitoring” means the individual is self-monitoring — keeping track of their temperatures and any symptoms. The county’s Monitoring Task Force checks in with the person once a day to see if there is any change in their health.
Health-care providers will send COVID-19 tests to Labcorp, not the county, which means Wake County won’t know how many tests that lab is processing on a given day.
“We understand that the public wants to know what our testing picture looks like,” said Wake County Medical Director Dr. Kim McDonald. “Although it’s challenging to provide accurate point-in-time figures for the number of tests in process and the number of tests completed daily, we’re committed to sharing the best information available to us to help our residents better understand our COVID-19 response.”
Wake County response
Wake County on Monday also approved $2 million from its fund balance for its COVID-19 response.
That money will go toward things like helping feed children in need while they are out of school, giving county workers more flexibility to take off from work and providing more money for homelessness and eviction prevention services.
The county’s emergency operation center was moved to the former Wake County Board of Elections office in downtown Raleigh to comply with recommendations for social distancing.
Wake County closed libraries and park centers Sunday night, and library staff have been moved to work in the county’s call center. Wake County’s COVID-19 hotline is 919-856-7044. Since going live the hotline has received more than 1,400 calls, Ellis said.
About half of Wake County’s employees are working remotely, he said.
Wake County is increasing the types of leave that employees can use during the pandemic. Healthy employees would normally be allowed to use only annual or banked leave. Now they will be allowed to use sick or community leave for any type of absence, including staying home with children. Schools across North Carolina are closed for two weeks at the order of the governor.
“We want to make sure that our employees have the flexibility they need to be home with their families if they need to be, particularly those who are coming home after working 12-hour shifts,” Ellis said.
This story was originally published March 16, 2020 at 3:29 PM.
