Communitywide Virus Tests Available

WIDESPREAD COMMUNITY TESTING FOR COVID-19 IS NOW AVAILABLE THROUGHCEDAR DIAGNOSTICS IN CORTEZ, DURANGO AND PAGOSA SPRINGS. YOU’REWATCHING THE LOCAL NEWS NETWORK, BROUGHT TO YOU BY ALPINE BANK,MEMBER F D I C, IN DURANGO AND KEESEE MOTORS IN CORTEZ. I’M WENDYGRAHAM SETTLE. CEDAR DIAGNOSTICS, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SAN JUAN BASINPUBLIC HEALTH, ANIMAS SURGICAL HOSPITAL, AND THE PAGOSA SPRINGSMEDICAL GROUP, WILL NOW OFFER TESTING FOR COVID-19. IT’S THE FIRSTWIDESPREAD TESTING PROGRAM TO BECOME AVAILABLE TO ALL INDIVIDUALSSINCE THE FIRST CORONAVIRUS CASE WAS CONFIRMED IN COLORADO ON MARCH5. TESTING HAS BEEN LIMITED IN SOUTHWEST COLORADO BECAUSE OF A LACKOF TESTING EQUIPMENT USED TO TRANSPORT VIRAL SAMPLES TO TESTING LABSAND A LACK OF PERSONAL PROTECTION EQUIPMENT FOR LAB PERSONNEL TO WEARWHILE TAKING SAMPLES. CEDAR DIAGNOSTICS WAS ABLE TO OBTAIN THETESTING EQUIPMENT FROM A PARTNER LAB, AND ANIMAS SURGICAL HOSPITAL,THE PAGOSA SPRINGS MEDICAL GROUP, AND SAN JUAN BASIN PUBLIC HEALTHWERE ABLE TO OBTAIN THE PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT AND TRAININGNEEDED TO COLLECT SAMPLES FOR THE TESTS. TESTING WILL BE CONDUCTED ATTHE CEDAR DIAGNOSTICS DRAW STATION IN DURANGO, THE TESTING LAB INCORTEZ, AND AT A DRIVE-THROUGH TESTING CLINIC AT THE PAGOSA MEDICALGROUP IN PAGOSA SPRINGS. APPOINTMENTS ARE REQUIRED TO ENSURE THATADEQUATE STERILIZATION PROCEDURES ARE FOLLOWED AFTER EACH PATIENTVISIT. TESTS ARE $50. HEALTH INSURANCE WILL COVER TESTING COSTS FORPATIENTS WHO HAVE A DOCTOR’S ORDERS OR WHO SHOW SYMPTOMS OR WHOSUSPECT THEY’VE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH A COVID-19 INFECTED PERSON.SELF-PAY TESTING ALSO WILL BE AVAILABLE TO ANY PERSON WHO WANTS TO BESCREENED FOR COVID-19.

WE REALLY DON’T WANT PEOPLE TO BE DISCOURAGED FROM BEING TESTEDBECAUSE I THINK SOME RANDOM SAMPLING OF THE COMMUNITY WILL BE HELPFULFOR US TO SEE HOW MANY ASYMPTOMATIC OR MINIMALLY SYMPTOMATICINDIVIDUALS THERE ARE IN OUR COMMUNITY. WE HAVE NO DATA ON THAT RIGHTNOW.

THE LACK OF COMMUNITY-WIDE TESTING HAS HAMPERED LOCAL HEALTHAGENICIES IN THEIR ABILITY TO PLAN FOR THE SPREAD OF THE CORONAVIRUSAND TREATMENT OF SERIOUSLY ILL PATIENTS. COLORADO DEPARTMENT OFPUBLIC HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT OFFICIALS ESTIMATE THAT 30 TO 40PERCENT OF COLORADO RESIDENTS WILL BECOME INFECTED, BUT WITHOUT DATATO DETERMINE EXACTLY HOW MANY HAVE THE CORONAVIRUS, EFFECTIVE ANDTARGETED ISOLATION AND CONTAINMENT ARE IMPOSSIBLE. THAT’S WHYCOLORADO GOVERNOR JARED POLIS HAS ISSUED STATEWIDE SOCIAL-DISTANCINGAND STAY-AT-HOME ORDERS. TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT FOR A COVID-19 TEST,CALL CEDAR DIAGNOSTICS AT 970-247-0937. DIAL 2 FOR DURANGO AND PAGOSASPRINGS. DIAL 3 FOR CORTEZ. FOR THE MOST UP TO DATE INFORMATION ONTHE CORONAVIRUS, VISIT S J B PUBLIC HEALTH DOT ORG OR S W HEALTH DOTORG.

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