How does testing for coronavirus work in North Carolina? It’s complicated
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More people can be tested for coronavirus after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention loosened its requirements. But it’s not always as simple as walking into a medical facility and asking for a test.
Coronavirus tests became available in North Carolina on Tuesday, the day the governor’s office announced the first case in the state.
The patient, a Wake County man, visited a nursing home in Washington state that has experienced an outbreak of coronavirus
Although the state Laboratory of Public Heath now has the tools to detect COVID-19, testing for the virus can be complicated.
Anyone who suspects they have coronavirus should call ahead before going into a health care provider’s office, Kelly Connor, spokesperson for the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services told McClatchy News.
Patients should tell their doctor about their symptoms and travel history. Doctors can then test for other infections, such as the flu, before deciding whether a patient should be tested for coronavirus, Connor said.
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Under previous CDC guidelines, a patient needed to have symptoms of a respiratory illness and a “clear route of exposure” or needed to be hospitalized with a severe, unexplained respiratory illness to be tested, The New York Times reports.
Now the CDC encourages doctors to “use their judgment” to determine if a patient has coronavirus symptoms, which include fever, cough, trouble breathing or other respiratory ailments.
Doctors can also consider factors such as whether the patient had close contact with an infected person or traveled to an affected area.
Once a person meets the CDC’s criteria, they’re considered a “person under investigation” and should be tested as soon as possible, according to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.
Everyone who meets the criteria for testing can be tested, Connor said.
Between 10 and 15 people have been tested for the virus in North Carolina, Dr. Mandy Cohen, secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, told The News & Observer.
State health officials had enough kits to test about 150 people as of Wednesday and expect about 500 additional kits by the end of the week and more next week.
How coronavirus tests work
To test for coronavirus, medical professionals can swab a patient’s nose or mouth. In North Carolina, the specimens are sent to the State Laboratory of Public Health.
The “turn-around time” for results varies, state health officials say. If the test comes back positive, it is then sent to the CDC for confirmation, which usually takes between 24 to 72 hours.
LabCorp, a North Carolina-based company, announced its COVID-19 tests are available nationwide starting Thursday evening.
Health care providers across the country can order the tests, the company says. Doctors then swab a patient and send the specimen to LabCorp. Test results should come back in 3 to 4 days.
The company emphasized that patients needing a test should not come to a LabCorp location but should call their doctor.
The cost
So how much does it cost to be tested? It varies from state to state, The New York Times reported.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina said its members have “no fee” for the test. The insurer would cover coronavirus screening like it would any other doctor visit, said spokesperson Austin Vevurka.
Experts and advocates across the country are pushing for local governments to ensure costs are not a barrier for people who need coronavirus tests or care, The New York Times reports.
This story was originally published March 4, 2020 at 3:48 PM with the headline "How does testing for coronavirus work in North Carolina? It’s complicated."
