More Coronavirus Testing is Imminent

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COURT HOUSE – With the increased ability to perform COVID-19 testing, a drive-thru testing clinic, sponsored by the Cape May County Health Department, closed shop after a “very successful” run, testing 73 individuals over the past four Wednesdays.
According to Liberty Kocis, health educator and risk communicator, Cape May County Department of Health, residents needed to be symptomatic and have a prescription from a healthcare provider to be tested. After making an appointment, patients were given a time slot to be tested.
Ten of the 73 tested positive, she said. The drive-thru was located at the Cape May County Technical School.
The program was sponsored by the health department in partnership with CompleteCare Health Network, who is separately expanding testing in the county for CompleteCare patients and county residents by appointment only. First responders will be given priority.
Anyone who has symptoms of COVID-19 or has been exposed to some one who has tested positive for the virus can schedule an appointment to have a free phone screening by visiting CompleteCareNJ.org/COVID or calling 609-465-0258. Once the screening has been completed, testing time and location will be provided.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recently expanded its list of possible symptoms for COVID-19. Aside from fever, cough and shortness of breath, people should also look for chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, repeated shaking with chills, or loss of taste or smell.
Testing Options Increasing
The state’s Department of Health and Rutgers University are rolling out a new saliva-based test in the state’s developmental centers. Two major pharmaceutical companies also announced plans to expand COVID-19 testing.
Since the pandemic occurred, a lack of testing has been an issue across many states. Kocis said testing is now happening at the Urgent Care facilities in Court House, Mamora, Wildwood, and at the Cape Regional Medical Center.She said the test can be requested, even if a person is asymptomatic.
Walgreens and CVS announced April 27 that they would expand testing. Walgreens said it plans to open COVID-19 testing locations in 49 states and Puerto Rico to help meet the growing need in communities nationwide. They will work to improve access in underserved communities, and, over time, will be working with companies to provide testing to employees to help more businesses reopen in the weeks and months ahead.
They plan to roll out 23 free, drive-thru testing sites in 15 states this week; however, New Jersey is not a part of this initial rollout.
Walgreens said new testing locations will be determined in collaboration with federal, state and local authorities. Once all sites are fully operational, they expect to test more than 50,000 people each week.
The new testing sites will use LabCorp’s COVID-19 nasal swab diagnostic test to determine if an individual has the disease.
LabCorp is also offering antibody blood testing at more than 100 LabCorp at Walgreens patient service center locations. The antibody blood tests detect the presence of antibodies to the virus and can help identify individuals exposed to it.
CVS announced they would have 1,000 testing locations in place by the end of May. CVS Health will offer self-swab tests to individuals meeting Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria. Testing will be scheduled online and take place at select CVS Pharmacy locations in parking lots or drive-thru windows. Testing will not be held in stores.
According to a release, employees participating in the test collection process will maintain safety, using personal protective equipment, and following sanitization protocols. Their goal is to process up to 1.5 million tests per month, subject to the availability of supplies and lab capacity.
Saliva Testing at Developmental Centers
Testing is also increasing at the five state developmental centers, another “population of grave concern,” according to Gov. Phil Murphy.
The newly authorized test, which requires a symptomatic person to spit into a cup, could increase by up to 10,000 tests per day the number of screenings for COVID-19, according to Rutgers University, whose medical research team developed the test with Spectrum Solutions and Accurate Diagnostic Labs.
“It means we no longer have to put health care professionals at risk for infection,” said Andrew Brooks, chief operating officer and director of technology development, Rutgers RUCDR Infinite Biologics. “We can preserve precious personal protective equipment for use in patient care instead of testing.”
“We also can significantly increase the number of people tested each and every day, as self-collection of saliva is more scalable than swab collections,” he added.
Thus far, more than 250 clients and 181 staff have tested positive for COVID-19 at the state centers, including 23 at the Woodbine Developmental Center. Thirteen deaths have occurred across the state. There are 1,238 clients and staff in the centers.
Contact Tracing Every Positive Case
Natalie Sendler, director of public health nursing, Cape May County Health Department, said the county has conducted contact tracing on all positive COVID-19 cases, 346, as of May 1.
“With any communicable disease investigation where a patient tests positive, we get information on where the individual has been in the 48 hours prior to showing symptoms,” she said. “We look at where people work, their household members, any place where they were with people and were less than six feet apart.”
“Isolation is the key for family members, quarantine for those who test positive,” she added. “Most of those testing positive can manage their symptoms at home.”
If someone isn’t a county resident but works within it, the home county reports the case and works with the other county to trace each contact, Sendler said.
Contact tracing has been another area Gov. Murphy is targeting, saying it’s a matter of “boots on the ground and technology,” but he has “no idea of the number of boots or technology” needed.
To contact Karen Knight, email kknight@cmcherald.com.