CT COVID Update Video - 3rd COVID case in CT announced:
CT-N: Public Health Briefing on the Coronavirus
CT announced its 3rd case of COVID on 3/11/2020. Patient described as an elderly (older than 65) male from New Canaan, CT (48 miles by car from NYC), that lives at home, with no known contact with another COVID case, so this person is deemed to have gotten the virus via 'community spread'. Disturbing trend IMO.
CT COVID testing is presently being done to support hospitals only it appears so as to keep CT hospital workers safe and provide care to admitted patients. CT is supposedly training additional workers in the lab so that testing can be ramped up in coming days.
The CT Director of Health said that if you live in SW CT (near New Rochelle and New York City) and you have a cough and fever that you should assume you have COVID. The briefing mentioned that an additional hospital lab (undisclosed hospital in the briefing) in the State will be coming online to assist with test processing. From the briefing it also appears that NYS might be sending CT residents seeking tests in NY back to CT for testing (but no tests for non hospital admitted patients are being administered now in CT). CT presently has 2 tests kits from the CDC which can each test 600 patients. CT has requested 2 more kits from the CDC. Why only 2 kits given the proximity of nearly 1 million Fairfield County residents to New Rochelle and New York City?
So, based on the latest briefing it appears that there is no COVID testing for CT residents (in particular SW CT residents) presently unless they are admitted to the hospital. No words for this state of affairs in CT regarding testing as its quite unclear what State officials were doing to prepare since January particularly given the proximity of the southern portion of the State to New York and the fact that many in the southern portion of State are frequent travelers for work and personal purposes as well.
No mention was made whether there will be a cooperation agreement of any sort in place with New York State to assist possibly with testing and patient treatment. No mention made whether Gov. Lamont has spoken with Gov. Cuomo about COVID related public health issues for some kind of regional coordination. Even with 5-7 more workers coming on board at the State lab and eventually working 3 shifts (now working 2 shifts), its unlikely that if there is the progression of the disease as seen in China, Italy and Washington State whether the State of CT has the testing capacity to handle the situation which is IMO disturbing.
The population of Fairfield Country CT a/o 2017 is just under a million people (949,921 people) and principally work in/around New York City. Based on listening to the latest briefing it appears that the folks in SW CT are 'on their own' for now regarding State assistance unless they are admitted to hospital and being told to follow CDC guidelines if they exhibit symptoms. Private testing options seem to have come online on Tuesday (article below) and might assist the reducing the impact of the many deficiencies present in the State response and apparent lack of resources.
Emergency declaration gives Lamont broad powers
Quotes from article:
The emergency declaration “gives us the opportunity to get more testing capacity faster,” Lamont said. “I’m going to look at the public health regulations and do everything I can to allow more of our local partners here in the state of Connecticut to be better able to do not just collection but testing. That’s the choke point right now.”
Renée Coleman-Mitchell, the state health commissioner, said 56 patients have been tested, with 19 more patients “in the queue” Tuesday.
Two state lab workers are currently qualified to do the testing, and can complete up to 20 patients per day, she said. Seven more employees are being trained, which will allow the lab to test 50 to 60 patients per day. [BBM]
At least four hospitals will be able to complete tests on-site after approvals, including Greenwich Hospital.
“Alternate collection sites,” where swabs can be collected for testing in tents or mobile units, are being established at 10 hospitals, Geballe said. Those locations will “enable us to significant increase the volume of samples that we’re collecting, without having to drive those people into our emergency departments,” he said.
The state is working with at least two private commercial providers that have launched testing, he said. Officials have also requested two additional testing kits from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Coleman-Mitchell said. The state has received two kits already, which can each test 600 patients.
With higher testing volume, “all the public health office are confident that what that will show us is a lot of additional positive tests,” Geballe said.
Local medical service tests patients for coronavirus from their cars
Quotes from article:
GREENWICH — Murphy Medical Associates is testing people who think they might have the novel coronavirus, and patients never have to leave their car.
The drive-thru operation, modeled on programs in South Korea and the United Kingdom, began Tuesday in Greenwich, Stamford and Stratford locations. Keeping patients in their car will allow medical offices to care for their patients while keeping any actual cases of coronavirus away.
Dr. Steven A. R. Murphy said he dubbed the practice “drive-thru” because the name makes the practice seem catchier, and it reminds people with possible symptoms to stay away from medical offices and emergency rooms. He said he knows of at least three other doctors in Greenwich who are testing patients in their parking lots.
In his group’s operation, people register online and a tele-medicine review is set up. Outside the epidemic, Murphy Associates frequently conducts the remote phone or online reviews for new patients before they visit the office.
The actual tests take place at the groups’ offices at 1 East Putnam Ave. in Greenwich, 2900 Main St. in Stratford and 30 Buxton Farms Rd. in Stamford. There, patients keep their windows up while their ID and insurance are checked. Farther on, clinicians in full protective gear collect samples.
The tests were privately developed by New Jersey-based Quest Diagnostics and LabCorp of North Carolina, both of which had their kits expedited through Food and Drug Administration approvals, given the spreading epidemic, Murphy said. Quest Diagnostics announced Monday its tests are available to order, followed by LabCorp making the same announcement on Tuesday. Neither laboratory system collects samples.
The capacity to test is increasing as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has expanded its criteria for judging if someone should be tested. Still, the CDC advises clinicians to follow a set of criteria for determining who should be tested.
