New guidelines, new priorities: healthcare workers say not all can get access to testing
IN AN AFTERNOONDAILY BRIEFING... ERIECOUNTY EXECUTIVEMARK POLONCARZSAID THOSE WHOQUALIFY FOR COVID-19TESTING... INCLUDEPEOPLE IN NURSINGHOMES AND GROUPHOMES... LAWENFORCEMENT...SYMPTOMATICPREGNANT WOMEN...AND HEALTHCAREWORKERS.BUT 7 EWN REPORTERMADISON CARTERTALKED TO A NURSEWHO SAYS SHE HASALL SYMPTOMS -- BUTHAS BEEN SHUT OUTOF THE TESTINGPROCESS.WE HAD THE COLD ATTHE BEGINNING OF THEYEAR AND THIS IS LIKE10X WORSE.STEPHANIE SURMAN ISA HOME CARE NURSEWHO WORKSDIRECTLY WITHCHILDREN.
SHE'S HADCOVID-19 SYMPTOMSFOR MORE THAN AWEEK, BUT HASN'TBEEN ABLE TO GETTESTED.THE PROBLEM THATLIES IS ITS BEINGFOCUSED MORE AT THEHOSPITAL AND THE DOHLEVEL, BUT THEN YOUHAVE PROVIDERS OUTIN THE FIELD THAT ISDISCONNECTED ANDWE'RE TRYING TO GETEQUIPMENT AND WECAN'T AND WE HAVEMORE RANGE IN TERMSOF THE PEOPLE WETOUCH.DR. RAUL VAZQUEZMOVED HIS FAMILYPRACTICE ENTIRELYTO A TELE-HEALTHMODEL.RIGHT NOW THEHOSPITALS AND THEERS.ALL THOSEPLACES ARE INFECTED,SO IF YOU DIDN'T HAVEAN INFECTION, YOU'REGOING TO THE RIGHTPLACE TO PICK IT UP.HE SAYS THERE'S ADISCONNECTBETWEEN WHAT THEPUBLIC IS BEING TOLDAND WHAT DOCTORSCAN ACTUALLY DO.WE'VE TRIED THEDOH AND EVERYONESAYS CALL YOURPRIMARY CARE, SOYEAH THEY CALL ANDWE REFER, BUT THENONCE THE TESTINGGETS DONE WE'RE OUTOF THE LOOP AS APRIMARY CAREPHYSICIAN.SURMAN HAS SIMILARCONCERNS.WE THOUGHT WECOULD JUST MAYBE GOINTO THE ER, TELLTHEM OUR SYMPTOMSAND THEY COULD TESTUS AND WE COULD GOHOME AND WAIT TOSEE IF WE HAVE IT ORNOT, BUT THAT'S NOTWHAT HAPPENED.THE HEALTHDEPARTMENT SAYS TOCARE FOR EVERYONEWITH SYMPTOMS LIKETHEY HAVE THE VIRUS,BUT MANY ARE STILLLOOKING FORCONFIRMATION.MC: IF WE KNOWPEOPLE HAVE ANDTHEY NEED TO BETRMPORT BECAUSEIF YOU HAVE A RISE INTHATIDUALS.FOR SURMAN IT'OR HELP FROMHEALTHCARRS STATEWIDEND IF WE DOFIND OUHAVE IMM ANDHELP AND NOT HAVE TOWORRY ABOUT HAVEIT.TAG: THE ISSUE IS THEINF CECAME OUT WITH EVENNEWER GUIDELINESFOR P
New testing sites set up in Glen Burnie, Bel Air, Waldorf and Landover
