photo by: The Denver Post via AP

A health care worker processes samples for a COVID-19 coronavirus test at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Laboratory Services Division in Denver, Saturday. March 14, 2020.

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to spread, individuals may have found it difficult to understand what they are supposed to do if they fear they have contracted the COVID-19 virus. Some have also wondered why they have not been able to get tested for the virus, fearing the disease may be more pervasive than official counts.

But health officials told the Journal-World Friday that there is not yet a quick and simple test for the virus in the United States, and individuals who are ill and suspect the cause is COVID-19 should first call their primary care doctor for guidance.

Kathy Severa, administrator for Family Medicine Associates in Lawrence, said it’s important for everyone to follow the guidance to help minimize the spread of the disease, noting the guidelines were crafted by health officials for a reason.

“Even though the vast majority of people will do fine if they get the sickness, we have to think about all the other people who are so sensitive and won’t do well, such as older adults and people who have other problems,” she said. “That’s really the key. We’re doing this to keep our population safe, not just ourselves.”

Severa said the first step an individual should take if they believe they are ill from COVID-19 is to call a doctor. She said it’s important to call first so health professionals can understand the symptoms the individual is suffering before letting them come into the office.

Severa said her office is phone-screening individuals and then deciding if they should come in to see a doctor to be tested for other illnesses, such as the flu, strep throat and the common cold. She said those illnesses share similar symptoms and the doctors would like to test for them and rule them out before moving on to COVID-19.

If the doctor rules out the other illnesses and then decides the individual is a candidate for COVID-19, the doctor will make a decision on how they should be treated, she said. Because there is not a medication for COVID-19, that means the patient would likely be sent home to stay in isolation.

“Most patients do fine with that process, but they would need to stay in close touch with their doctor,” she said. “If things change, their doctor would direct them for next steps after that.”

Permission needed

If a doctor believes an individual is suffering from severe symptoms and they are a high-risk candidate for the virus, Severa said her office would then send that individual to the hospital to be treated, where they could then be tested.

Lawrence’s hospital, LMH Health, has the capability to test for the virus, said Rebecca Smith, a spokeswoman for the hospital. But the hospital must get clearance from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment to collect a sample from an individual to be tested.

Dan Partridge, director for the Lawrence-Douglas County health department, said his department also has the capabilities to test for the virus and it too must be cleared by the KDHE.

Those hoping to be tested for the virus may find themselves turned down by the department. Kristi Zears, a spokeswoman for the KDHE, said the health department is mostly limiting the testing to people who are showing possible symptoms of COVID-19 and have been in contact with someone with a confirmed case.

According to the KDHE, those who are able to be screened for the virus must fit one of the following profiles:

• History of travel from Hubei Province in China within 14 days of symptoms and experiencing fever and lower respiratory illness.

• History of travel from any country with a Centers for Disease Control Alert Level or Warning Level travel advisory — such as China, Iran and many countries in Europe — within 14 days of symptoms and experiencing fever and lower respiratory illness.

• Close contact with a person who has laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 and developed symptoms within 14 days of contact, plus experiencing fever or lower respiratory illness.

• No source of exposure has been identified but experiencing fever and severe lower respiratory illness.

Zears said the KDHE is following the testing criteria because those who are not showing symptoms may return a negative test.

“Asymptomatic individuals will likely not test positive and will create a false sense of security,” Zears said.

Additionally, testing is currently not quick. Zears said the department’s lab testing currently takes about four hours. For those who are granted a test, the KDHE is not charging patients to test their samples. But she said health care providers may charge patients to collect the samples.

Frustrations mount

Although individuals are advised to contact their primary care doctor first, some offices may not even have the ability to test for COVID-19 at the moment. Severa said Friday that her office wouldn’t be able to test until this week. Even then, her office will only have one test kit.

“They have been given out in very small amounts,” Severa said of COVID-19 testing kits.

The inability to be tested for the virus has frustrated people across the country. In Lawrence, Tom Stacy, a University of Kansas law professor, told the Journal-World he feared a family member who works in health care had contracted the disease and attempted to get a test to verify. But the family member was unable to do so because they did not match the criteria for testing because they did not have a fever.

Stacy said he has learned more about the illness and does not believe the family member has contracted the virus. But he said the criteria required for a test may still be unintentionally covering up community spread of the virus because people with minor symptoms may not be granted the test.

He said there should be more widespread testing, like in other countries, especially for people who work in health care. Unlike the local testing, South Korea has begun widespread free testing of individuals, according to NPR. South Korea is one of the hardest-hit countries by the virus, but it is offering testing in a drive-thru system that takes about 10 minutes to determine results.

“There are definitely people who should be tested now and can’t be tested,” Stacy said, referring to people who work in health care. “If there is any doubt at all, you should be tested. (COVID-19) should be the first thing ruled out, not the last thing.”

However, more testing capabilities in the U.S. may be on the way. While declaring the pandemic a national emergency, President Donald Trump on Friday announced a new public-private partnership to expand coronavirus testing capabilities, according to the Associated Press. The partnership will include drive-thru testing in some locations and an online portal to screen those seeking to get tested, according to the report.

Severa said she has been told the situation is fluid and Kansas’ testing and screening could change quickly. She said health officials of the KDHE have told her office that “greater testing will be available very soon.”

“We don’t know what ‘very soon’ means for sure, but we think by next week there might be a more stepped-up process for screening,” Severa said.