Search

Michigan health officials say get tested for COVID-19, but not at emergency rooms, urgent care - MLive.com

pentingnus.blogspot.com

As hospital emergency rooms and urgent care centers throughout Michigan continue to see higher-than-normal volumes of sick patients, doctors and health officials are encouraging residents seeking routine COVID-19 testing to go elsewhere.

Patients suffering from concerning or long-lasting symptoms should still seek emergency care, said Dr. Liam Sullivan, an infectious disease specialist for Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids.

However, there are faster options for routine testing elsewhere that don’t further the strain on health care providers.

“If you’ve just got an exposure or you’re worried because of mild symptoms, don’t go to the ER or urgent care, that’s not the place for it,” Sullivan said. “They’re both completely overrun and if you do go there, you’re going to be there a long time because you’ll be at the bottom of the priority list.”

Related: Michigan sets pandemic record for COVID hospitalizations; stretched staffs feels defeated, disheartened

Michigan’s health systems have reached a new record-high for COVID-19 hospitalizations with 442 per million people over the last week. There were 4,585 adult patients hospitalized as of Monday, Dec. 6, plus 51 pediatric patients.

Last week, 10.4% of emergency room visits were for COVID-19 diagnosis, led by the 50-64 age group. Visits for flu-like illness are also up compared to this time in 2019.

“Health systems are feeling the strain of this surge right now, so getting tested in a doctor’s office or in a hospital may not be the best place to go at the moment for routine testing,” said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, the state’s chief medical executive.

“If you are feeling concerned about your health, if you’re having some concerning symptoms, of course still go to seek care with your medical provider or even call 911 if symptoms are bad enough. But if you’re concerned that you’ve been exposed or you’re having mild symptoms, health care systems and hospitals should not be your first line in terms of routine testing.”

Testing remains a pivotal component of a community’s ability to track the transmission of coronavirus at a given time, and Health officials recommend testing for anyone who has developed symptoms common with COVID-19. Those include fever, chills, cough, fatigue, muscle aches, headache, loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, vomiting, diarrhea, and skin rashes.

It’s also recommended if you have been in close contact with someone suspected or confirmed to have COVID-19, regardless of vaccination status.

Non-emergency room testing options are available, both by appointment and walk-in, at local health departments, pharmacies, clinics, community centers and drive-thru testing sets spread throughout the state.

Residents can find testing through the state’s online test finder, or by calling 888-535-6136 and pressing 2 when prompted for assistance locating the closest test site. There are both paid and no-cost options available.

Over the last week, the state has processed more than 48,400 tests per day, with about 19.5% coming back positive. Health officials want to see that rate at 5% or lower.

Michigan ranks 28th nationally in testing per 100,000 people, according to data from Johns Hopkins University of Medicine.

Home testing options are also becoming more readily available with supply increasing at local pharmacies and retailers. Sullivan said he expects their availability to continue increasing in the coming months.

While there are some false positives and false negatives with at-home antigen testing, Sullivan said they are largely accurate -- especially for symptomatic individuals. To overcome limitations, he tells patients they can take two tests within a day or two.

Health officials recommend waiting five days after a potential exposure before getting tested, as early testing can lead to false negative results before the virus has spread enough to be detected.

If you test positive, you should avoid other people for 10 days after either your test sample was taken or when your first symptoms appeared -- whichever came first. If you need to be around other people, wear a mask over your nose and mouth and keep physical distance where possible.

Beyond his testing guidance, Sullivan said his primary advice remains to get vaccinated to reduce your likelihood of serious illness from coronavirus infection. To find a vaccine near you, eligible residents can visit Michigan’s COVID-19 vaccine website or go to VaccineFinder.org.

If you have any COVID-19 questions that you’d like answered, please submit them to covidquestions@mlive.com to be considered for future MLive reporting.

Read more on MLive:

Nearly two years into COVID-19, many wonder: How do pandemics end?

Get vaccinated or get COVID, doctor says, as cases surge in Southwest Michigan

Michigan cuts back on outbreak reporting as COVID-19 cases rise

What happened after hospitals refused ivermectin, unproven COVID-19 treatment

Adblock test (Why?)



"urgent" - Google News
December 09, 2021 at 08:00PM
https://ift.tt/31HVIqX

Michigan health officials say get tested for COVID-19, but not at emergency rooms, urgent care - MLive.com
"urgent" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2ya063o
https://ift.tt/3d7MC6X
urgent

Bagikan Berita Ini

0 Response to "Michigan health officials say get tested for COVID-19, but not at emergency rooms, urgent care - MLive.com"

Post a Comment

Powered by Blogger.