COVID test results from Civic Center clinic could be delayed, health dept. says. Here’s why
A recent surge in COVID-19 testing demand at Columbus’ health department could mean delayed results for residents.
The Columbus Health Department moved coronavirus testing to the Civic Center parking lot Dec. 30 to accommodate the large number of cars that could not fit at the Veterans Parkway location, West Central Health District spokesperson Pam Kirkland said.
The health department tested 849 people on Dec. 31 and 790 people on Jan. 3 at the Civic Center, Kirkland said. The lines at the Civic Center have been very long and people have been lining before the 9 a.m. opening time. The health department is administering PCR tests, which means people can typically expect results back in two to three days, she said.
However, the high demand might cause problems.
“We may see delays in results if these numbers keep up,” Kirkland said.
Residents are advised to wait until they have COVID symptoms to be tested, she said. Those without symptoms but still infected may get a negative test result because there’s not enough of a viral load to be detected by a test.
The Civic Center isn’t the only testing site seeing long lines and high demand.
For most mornings this week, a line of cars outside of MedCare, a testing site offering rapid and PCR COVID-19 tests, has backed up to intersection of Whitesville Road and Airport Thruway.
The clinic typically does testing from 8 a.m. to noon each day on a first come, first served bases, MedCare business manager Tracey Mecca told the Ledger-Enquirer.
But bad weather, a shortage of tests and staff members calling out sick with COVID can slow things down, Mecca said.
People who opt for the rapid tests at MedCare can expect their results in about 10 minutes, she said, and those who get the PCR tests should get results in five to seven days.
Latest COVID-19 data
Muscogee County is reporting 1,972 COVID cases in the past two weeks at a case rate of 1,029 cases per 100,000 as of Jan. 4, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health. This is the highest rate of COVID-19 cases the county has seen during the pandemic.
Around 37.2% of COVID-19 tests in the last two weeks have been positive. As of Jan. 3, there were 74 COVID hospitalizations in Columbus, Henderson told the Ledger-Enquirer. This is up from the 30-32 hospitalizations Henderson reported two weeks ago.
Piedmont Columbus Regional is seeing an increase locally in COVID hospitalizations, Piedmont spokesperson Jessica Roberts said.
St. Francis-Emory Healthcare is seeing an uptick of cases as well, Grant Farrimond, spokesperson for St. Francis-Emory, said.
“Recent state and regional reporting indicates COVID-19 hospitalization have increased in western Georgia,” Farrimond told the Ledger-Enquirer.
St. Francis-Emory hospital is currently caring for 28 COVID-19 positive patients, he said. ICU bed usage for the state of Georgia is 83.2%, Farrimond said, and St. Francis-Emory is seeing a similar trend with its total ICU bed utilization currently at 85.7%.
“The Emergency Room has seen an increase in visits at the end of the holidays,” he said. “We are experiencing increased patient volumes, but have adequate capacity.”
However, a large volume of patients arrive at the Emergency Department thinking COVID-19 testing is available, Roberts said in a statement, but it’s not.
“Piedmont’s Emergency Department is a place for those seeking examination or treatment for an emergency medical condition and not a site for routine COVID testing,” the statement reads.
Residents in need of routine COVID-19 testing can find a location near them by entering their zip code on the website hhs.gov, or they can be tested by the health department, which will be testing at the Civic Center through Jan. 14.
Farrimond encourages residents to not delay essential and emergency care if they are experiencing a medical emergency. However, those whose conditions are less severe or not life-threatening are asked to consider seeking care and treatment at an urgent care clinic or primary care provider’s office.
Georgia update
Total cases: 1,493,254 (+105,368 reported since Dec. 29). The number of new cases reported in a day may not match the difference in total cases over a 24-hour period. This occurs because previously reported cases may be removed as duplicate reports are corrected. An older confirmed case may also be reclassified as additional information is collected during an investigation.
Vaccination Rate: 61% of Georgians have received at least one dose, while 53% are fully vaccinated.
Total deaths: 24,472 (+147 deaths since Dec. 29). It’s important to note that these numbers indicate when deaths are reported to the Georgia Department of Public Health. It does not reflect when these deaths occurred.
Positivity rate for Georgia today: The rate over the past two weeks is 36.4% positive.
Current COVID hospitalizations: 397 hospitalizations reported on Jan. 5.
More information about COVID-19 data in Georgia can be found on DPH’s COVID-19 status website.
