Beginning Friday, May 1st, Curry Health Network will begin following the less restrictive testing criteria as provided in the Oregon Health Authority Guidelines.
Patients with new-onset of symptoms consistent with COVID-19 (see below for details) are recommended for testing. Those with these symptoms should call 541.412.2000 for a telehealth visit or a telephone consultation to speak with a Provider to determine if a test is appropriate and to obtain the required Provider’s Order. Orders from Providers not employed by Curry Health Network are also accepted.
The main difference between these new guidelines and the former guidelines is that those with symptoms and whom do NOT require medical care or hospital admission are now recommended for testing, versus the former guideline that recommended these persons not needing medical care stay home and self-isolate (without being tested).
THE SYMPTOMS TO MEET CRITERIA INCLUDE:
Cough (OR) shortness of breath (OR) difficulty breathing (OR) at least two of the following symptoms: fever, chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, or new loss of taste or smell.
This recommendation by Oregon Health Authority includes that proviso that any person with symptoms meeting the criteria above MAY be tested, but should be considered a lower priority than other groups such as healthcare workers and first responders, those in a care facility or group living setting, essential front-line service workers with regular contact with large numbers of people, those age 60 or older, those with certain underlying medical conditions, pregnant women, and more.
Oregon Health Authority also recommends that while any person with symptoms consistent with COVID-19 MAY be tested, the severity of symptoms, available testing, and health care system capacity should be factored into the decision, including staff, PPE, testing supplies, specimen collection supplies, and current testing turnaround time.
However, Curry Health Network does not, at this time, anticipate the need to prioritize testing based on the number of currently available specimen collection supplies which are then sent out to Quest, a reference lab. While the turn-around time to receive results from these tests can vary by several days and is out of the control of Curry Health Network, the trend is showing a shorter turn-around time and has recently been averaging about 3 days.
Those patients who receive an Order from a Provider for Covid-19 testing will be scheduled an appointment for drive-up testing at Curry General Hospital (Gold Beach), Curry Medical Center (Brookings), or Curry Family Medical (Port Orford).
