Austin-Travis County ramps up COVID-19 testing capacity
AUSTIN, Texas - About 1,000 test kits have been received by the local health authority from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, but there is still a significant gap between the number of tests available and the number of people seeking a test.
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"Testing remains limited and even with more tests available, we must continue to prioritize testing for the immediate future such as healthcare workers, hospital patients, and individuals who live in nursing homes and those at high risk of complications," said Dr. Mark Escott, Austin-Travis County interim health authority.
This week, a number of dedicated testing sites will open for members of the public by referral and appointment only.
Under criteria laid out by the Texas Department of State Health Services, prioritization is given to individuals with a specific combination of symptoms combined with risk factors such as travel, close contact with confirmed cases, or underlying health conditions.
Guide for potential patients:
- If you are exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms (fever, cough, shortness of breath), avoid the risk of spread at clinics and hospitals by using telehealth virtual visits (see a list of services on our webpage here) or calling your health provider.
- Your physician will determine if there is another plausible diagnosis with similar symptoms (i.e. influenza). --- People with no insurance and no established provider experiencing Coronavirus-like symptoms should call CommUnityCare at 512-978-8775. CommUnityCare will triage people over the phone and send them to the appropriate location.
- For suspected COVID-19 cases, your doctor will fill out a form. Austin Public Health will use this information to assess risk and criteria to determine whether a test is appropriate. You will be notified on whether you qualify for a test and will be provided with a test-site location. Until then, stay at home and self-distance.
Patients are advised that private healthcare providers in their areas may be providing their own testing - they should contact their doctor's office for further guidance.
As of 7 p.m. March 17, Austin-Travis County was reporting 17 positive tests. Contact tracing is ongoing and initial investigations indicate more individuals may have been exposed by coming into contact with people who tested positive in the local area - known as a person-to-person spread, according to the press release. The risk of community spread, where people become infected with the virus but may not be sure how or where they became infected, is therefore high.
"Check your symptoms and temperature before you leave home," said Dr. Escott. "If you have a cough or a fever, you should stay at home. Decreasing the spread, particularly the spread to those at highest risk for complications, depends on each member of the community being vigilant."
Austin Public Health is stressing the importance of practicing good personal hygiene, gathering with others only if it is essential, and checking on elderly friends and family who might need some assistance during this time. If people feel sick they should stay home.
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On March 17, Austin-Travis County moved to close bars, suspend dine-in service at restaurants, and ban gatherings of more than 10 people in confined spaces for six weeks under new Orders aimed at slowing the spread of COVID-19. The new Orders are consistent with CDC recommendations to follow a community-wide approach using social distancing to reduce illness and death.