CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The state’s largest health care systems are using remote sites to test for the coronavirus.
WVU Medicine opened five sites Wednesday while Charleston Area Medical Center (CAMC) continued its remote testing in Charleston that began last weekend.
“It’s a way to screen people, to help people who may think they are at risk or have a virus and it’s a way to keep them out of a waiting room, urgent cares or emergency rooms,” CAMC spokesman Dale Witte said.
WVU Medicine has a similar goal, according to vice president & executive dean of Health Sciences Dr. Clay Marsh.
“The goal would be to both direct people away from hospitals, and emergency rooms and clinics, where they could be potentially infectious to other patients, or people or healthcare workers,” Marsh said Wednesday on MetroNews “Talkline.” “And make it convenient for people to drive up and drive through these testing centers that would be in convenient areas.”
WVU Medicine has setup five drive-through collection points across West Virginia in Morgantown, Parkersburg, Bridgeport, Wheeling, and Martinsburg.
The testing, is being reserved for people who meet the screening criterion in accordance to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations.
According to Dr. Marsh, those who are exhibiting symptoms consistent with COVID-19 are asked to call a physician to see if a tested is needed. If it is determined a test is necessary, the patient will be directed to one of the five testing locations.
“The idea would be that if your physician in consultation with our state and local health departments feel that this is warranted, then we would direct people to one of these five areas to be able to have the sample acquired,” said Marsh.
The test themselves, are being conducted by WVU Medicine with the support of Quest Diagnostics and LabCorp which will be processing the specimens collected at the locations and assisting state health officials on producing results of the test. Once collected, results are expected to return within one to three days depending on the location of the specimen’s shipment.
“So the idea is to batch the states, so within 24 hours,” Marsh said in describing the timeline. “The privates are committed to doing 24 hours as well, currently it’s about three days for private.”
Those using the CAMC testing have to go through a prescreening first with CAMC’s telemedicine app, 24/7 Care. Witte said if that assessment points toward a further look the patient is then asked to go through the drive-in test site. He said the hospital has yet to test for a positive coronavirus case but two residents have tested positive for the flu.
“The more we can separate people that may be contagious with any virus the better,” Witte said.
West Virginia was the last state to have any confirmed cases of COVID-19 despite infection numbers rising in various parts of the country. Government and health officials have taken the approach that it has already arrived in West Virginia and are encouraging all hygienic and social distancing habits to help prevent the spread.
Marsh said he was optimistic Wednesday that the state was going to make it through the coronavirus situation in great fashion.
“If 75 percent of the people do what the governor asked them to we can turn that tsunami wave into maybe a river which we would do okay with but if 90 percent of people do this in a voluntary way and being strong West Virginians and use their power to fight the virus we could get through this with very little turbulence,” Marsh said.
Marsh said his optimism is based on the fact that people in West Virginia always rally together to protect each other and help each other.
“And if we do that right, we will keep this virus, I am convinced, we will keep this virus from overwhelming us and we’ll protect our people and we’ll get through this in very great fashion,” he said.
WAJR Radio’s Dave Wilson contributed to this story.