Recommendation To Expand Testing At Nursing Homes

WAAY 31's Sydney Martin joined live outside of Huntsville Hospital to separate fact from fiction.

Fiction.

When it comes to testing for coronavirus.

Sydney.

Marnz dan, najahe, huntsville hospital david spillers told me the hospital system has tested more than 13,000 people for coronavirus here in north alabama and said at first they were one of the only businesses that were testing people for coronaviruses.

There are more people who are offering the test, but huntsville hospital ceo david spillers is adamant there are not enough tests for patients and employees at nursesing homes to be tested.

>> mr. spillers: a lot of things come out of washington that say you need to do this.

In the state of alabama, you need a doctor to order a test.

People don't just walk up and get a test and get it run.

>> huntsville hospital david spillers told me that he didn't believe it's feasible to test everyone who lives and works in a nursing home for coronavirus because the test would have to be almost daily.

>> mr. spillers: you're going to have to continue to test people on a regular basis once you start testing.

A test is good for a point in time.

You know what you get when you get that test.

Two days later, you might have it and unless you get tested you won't know.

>> i reached out to nursing homes today.

None wanted to comment about testing protocols.

Some did state staff members with a fever would be sent for a coronavirus test.

Others said any with fever or symptoms would be hospitalized and tested immediately.

None said testing is being performed on asymptomatic patients or staff members.

>> mr. spillers: workers are coming and going and that's where they're probably, if you're going to have an issue in a nursing home, it's probably because of workers bringing it in.

>> he thinks the limited testing currently available should be allocated to nursing homes before healthy asymptomatic people.

>> mr. spillers: if that's a high-risk group we should probably allocate tests there before we test healthy asymptomatic patients.

>> today i reached out to the veterans affair spokesperson to learn what they are doing to keep their people here safe.

I have not heard back from him this afternoon but spillers did tell me today that he does not recommend for family who is have a loved one in a nursing home to pull them out because of fear their safest to stay in the nursing