密歇根新闻广播 密歇根州“得来速”式新冠病毒检测

 

Michigan is dangerously short of COVID-19 test kits¹. And the tests themselves present all kinds of logistical problems for clinics and hospitals.

As medical teams try to test the highest-risk, most urgent cases, drive-thru testing is popping up throughout the state. Doctors hope drive-thru tests for the new coronavirus might address multiple problems at once. But deciding who should be tested, and what that process looks like, varies from place-to-place and at times, from person-to-person.

What’s the advantage of drive-thru testing?

Nurses at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak. Beaumont is offering drive-thru coronavirus testing at its eight hospitals.

Because the novel coronavirus is so contagious², medical officials are urging people not to come to hospitals unless their symptoms are serious enough to warrant immediate³ medical care. Drive-thrus offer the advantage of much more limited contact, greatly reducing the chances of infecting others.

In theory, a drive-thru test can also be a quicker option. But as we’ll see in a minute, that hasn’t necessarily been the case for many who have tried to do it.

What makes a person with coronavirus symptoms a candidate for this kind of test?

Some health systems, such as Henry Ford⁴ Allegiance in Jackson, require you to be showing symptoms and have had contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case, or a history of recent travel.

Spectrum⁵ Health in West Michigan requires a referral and appointment for a specific day and time, which you can get either from your physician or through their COVID-19 hotline.

University of Michigan/Michigan Medicine requires a thorough assessment⁶ through its hotline or a doctor’s referral, which could include a video visit with a doctor and eventual⁷ referral for testing. Their testing services are limited to Michigan Medicine patients and employees only.

Beaumont hospitals appear to be offering the most widespread testing. But they pre-screen patients curbside before sending them on to the testing site, as well as through their hotline.

“Right now, we don’t really have the bandwidth or the ability to test everyone,” said Nick Gilpin, assistant medical director for infection prevention at Beaumont. “Frankly, the state doesn’t have the bandwidth to test everyone. The [private] reference labs don’t have the ability to test everyone. So we have to make some pretty difficult clinical decisions on the front lines sometimes."

James Ziadeh, chief of emergency medicine at Beaumont-Royal Oak, said the focus is on the “highest-risk individuals.”

“Our elderly patient population, patients with immunocompromised conditions, hypertension, [or] coronary disease,” Ziadeh said. “Or [people who are] significantly symptomatic.”

But Beaumont officials also described the testing criteria⁸ as “fluid,” and it turns out being “significantly symptomatic” will not necessarily get you a test.

Two different experiences: Hal and Tina

Hal Newnan, 63, and Tina Louise, 43, both have symptoms of coronavirus. Both sought testing at Beaumont-Royal Oak. They had entirely⁹ different experiences.

Newnan said his symptoms started in early March with “a little sniffle.” That progressed to a sore throat,

Hal Newnan's view of the line for drive-thru testing at Beaumont-Royal Oak. He waited over six hours for a test.

CREDIT HAL NEWNAN / VIA FACEBOOK

fatigue¹⁰, and shortness of breath.

“A feeling that my lungs aren’t right,” Newnan said. “It’s a feeling I’ve never had before and I’m 63 years old.”

Newnan never had more than a low-grade fever, but his doctor’s office told him to get tested. So he went to Beaumont, and after waiting in line for more than six hours, he was able to get the nasal swab test.

“During the course of this they explained that this will be tested for the flu and [then] for the coronavirus, if the flu test is negative,” Newnan said.

Newnan said his flu test came back negative, so he’s waiting on the COVID-19 results. He should know by the end of the week.

Meanwhile, Tina Louise has been sick since late February. She did test positive for strep throat, but after taking a full round of antibiotics¹¹, she still didn’t feel better. Her symptoms include a cough, fever, chest pain, and shortness of breath.

After receiving lots of messages from friends about Beaumont’s new drive-thru tests, she called the Beaumont hotline, then drove to the hospital. Her fever at that point was over 101 degrees. After going through the initial assessment, she was put in line to wait for the actual test. That took two hours.

But when she got up the next checkpoint, Louise said a nurse told her, “I’m really sorry, but you don’t really qualify for testing.”

Louise said she got upset. And she got even more upset when the nurse told her that if she really wanted to get a test, she could go to the emergency room.

“I don’t understand, because the messaging that we’re getting is don’t go to the ER unless you absolutely have to, because of how contagious this is,” Louise said. “Instead, go to these drive-in places and get tested, or triaged with urgent care or primary care. But try to avoid the hospital.”

The next day, Louise had a tele-medicine appointment with a primary care doctor. After hearing her symptoms, the doctor suggested a COVID-19 test, and told her Beaumont had drive-thru testing.

“And I kind of laughed a little, and was like well, I did that already and I got turned away,” Louise said.

Louise did call the Beaumont hotline again, but the nurse told her she still wasn’t likely to be tested—there just aren’t enough tests. She still hasn’t been tested.

The reality: even some who are “significantly symptomatic” won’t get tested

It’s not clear exactly why Hal Newnan got tested, and Tina Louise didn’t, even though her symptoms were more significant. It’s plausible¹² that Newnan’s age played a role. But the reality is that so long as testing resources remain scarce, frontline clinicians have to make some difficult calls based on fluctuating criteria. Sometimes, those calls may not seem to make much sense.

The bottom line: if you have COVID-19 symptoms that are more than mild, call testing providers ahead of time to determine their screening criteria, and get assessed to maximize your chance of getting tested.

Health systems in Michigan currently offering drive-thru testing:

Beaumont Hospitals (Metro Detroit, 8 locations). COVID-19 hotline: [phone]

Spectrum Health (West Michigan, 2 locations). COVID-19 hotline: [phone]

Henry Ford Allegiance (Jackson). COVID-19 hotline: [phone]

University of Michigan/Michigan Medicine (Southeast Michigan, 3 locations). COVID-19 hotline: [phone]

1 kits   

衣物和装备( kit的名词复数 )； 成套用品； 配套元件

参考例句：

• Keep your kits closed and locked when not in use. 不用的话把你的装备都锁好放好。
• Gifts Articles, Toy and Games, Wooden Toys, Puzzles, Craft Kits. 采购产品礼品，玩具和游戏，木制的玩具，智力玩具，手艺装备。

2 contagious   

adj.传染性的，有感染力的

参考例句：

• It's a highly contagious infection.这种病极易传染。
• He's got a contagious laugh.他的笑富有感染力。

3 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

4 Ford   

n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过

参考例句：

• They were guarding the bridge,so we forded the river.他们驻守在那座桥上，所以我们只能涉水过河。
• If you decide to ford a stream,be extremely careful.如果已决定要涉过小溪，必须极度小心。

5 spectrum   

n.谱，光谱，频谱；范围，幅度，系列

参考例句：

• This is a kind of atomic spectrum.这是一种原子光谱。
• We have known much of the constitution of the solar spectrum.关于太阳光谱的构成，我们已了解不少。

6 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？

7 eventual   

adj.最后的，结局的，最终的

参考例句：

• Several schools face eventual closure.几所学校面临最终关闭。
• Both parties expressed optimism about an eventual solution.双方对问题的最终解决都表示乐观。

8 criteria   

n.标准

参考例句：

• The main criterion is value for money.主要的标准是钱要用得划算。
• There are strict criteria for inclusion in the competition.参赛的标准很严格。

9 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

10 fatigue   

n.疲劳，劳累

参考例句：

• The old lady can't bear the fatigue of a long journey.这位老妇人不能忍受长途旅行的疲劳。
• I have got over my weakness and fatigue.我已从虚弱和疲劳中恢复过来了。

11 antibiotics   

n.（用作复数）抗生素；（用作单数）抗生物质的研究；抗生素，抗菌素( antibiotic的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• the discovery of antibiotics in the 20th century 20世纪抗生素的发现
• The doctor gave me a prescription for antibiotics. 医生给我开了抗生素。

12 plausible   

adj.似真实的，似乎有理的，似乎可信的

参考例句：

• His story sounded plausible.他说的那番话似乎是真实的。
• Her story sounded perfectly plausible.她的说辞听起来言之有理。