Prepare to see a spike in reported positive cases. Do not freak out about it.
I work for a large commercial lab. Most labs now have the tests available for providers to order and the collection kits/devices are being distributed widely. Not every provider is following the CDC guidelines on ordering so there are a lot of tests being ordered. Some are ordering on any patient who requests it, some are ordering it on all their staff to make sure they aren’t currently carrying it to work, some think they are helping by getting numbers into the system, some are strictly following the guidelines. It’s a wide range.
Any positive tests have to be reported to the CDC in a timely manner. The reporting is electronic. It normally happens within hours of the test result. The CDC generally has the information before the ordering provider has it.
Just be prepared and don’t freak out if the number of positives spikes up. We should all be assuming we are coming into contact with COVID-19 positive people everywhere we go - work, stores, restaurants, gas stations, everywhere. Even our loved ones. It’s just not the other people in other places.
Follow the universal precautions religiously, adopt social distancing in every possible circumstance and don’t touch anything or anyone you absolutely do not need to touch.
I work for a large commercial lab. Most labs now have the tests available for providers to order and the collection kits/devices are being distributed widely. Not every provider is following the CDC guidelines on ordering so there are a lot of tests being ordered. Some are ordering on any patient who requests it, some are ordering it on all their staff to make sure they aren’t currently carrying it to work, some think they are helping by getting numbers into the system, some are strictly following the guidelines. It’s a wide range.
Any positive tests have to be reported to the CDC in a timely manner. The reporting is electronic. It normally happens within hours of the test result. The CDC generally has the information before the ordering provider has it.
Just be prepared and don’t freak out if the number of positives spikes up. We should all be assuming we are coming into contact with COVID-19 positive people everywhere we go - work, stores, restaurants, gas stations, everywhere. Even our loved ones. It’s just not the other people in other places.
Follow the universal precautions religiously, adopt social distancing in every possible circumstance and don’t touch anything or anyone you absolutely do not need to touch.
