After a slow start, coronavirus testing over the past two weeks is ramping up, with more than 143,700 tested in Florida and just over 600 in Monroe County as of Wednesday.
As testing expands statewide, instant tests with results in just minutes are seeing introduction at Florida hospitals — with some finally making their way to the Keys this month.
Created by Abbott, the tests haven’t been widely accessible nationwide, or statewide, as much as health professionals want. It’s left testing centers sending sample collections to labs, whether public or private, for analysis.
At the outset, test results weren’t coming back for three to five days. That’s improved with more private labs like Quest and LabCorp coming online to assist public health labs.
“In fact, private labs have done more testing than the health departments’ public labs right now,” said Bob Eadie, administrator and health officer for the health department in Monroe County.
Gov. Ron DeSantis said the emergence of rapid testing is a “game changer” when it comes to protecting people in nursing homes and health care workers — all while conserving hospital space.
“I talked to Abbott labs directly, and said ‘Look, let us buy some of this,’” he said. “Fortunately, those machines are in Florida now with a number of hospital systems. Doctors just started using them. They didn’t send to every major hospital system, so what we’re doing is we’re working some of the ones that have a number of these machines and seeing if they can shift them over so every hospital system has some access to rapid testing.”
The ability to conduct rapid testing in-house throughout Baptist Health South Florida’s network began this week. Spokeswoman Georgi Pipkin said it’s currently available on a very limited basis in the Keys at Mariners and Fishermen’s hospitals.
“We expect to be able to increase our capacity for in-house testing soon as additional equipment and supplies become available,” Pipkin told the Weekly.
Lower Keys Medical Center will also be receiving rapid tests. Lynn Corbett-Winn, director of marketing, told the Weekly that they’re expecting to receive tests by the end of the month.
“When patients requiring hospital treatment are determined by a physician to meet the criteria for COVID testing, the rapid tests will allow our healthcare providers to provide test results very quickly,” she said.
Eadie added that in addition to tests, the health department is receiving a shipment of test kits for use in public labs. Eadie has maintained that there are enough tests for those who have symptoms or have a doctor’s order.
“The good news is more tests are coming online and more rapid tests are coming online,” Eadie said. “It would be helpful to reassure the county population as to exactly what we’ve got and what their condition is.”
A total of 616 tests have been performed so far in Monroe County as of April 8. Of those, 445 have come back negative.
Eadie said he wants to open up testing sites in the Upper and Lower Keys. To make that happen, Eadie acknowledged a need for more manpower and supplies. CHI is conducting tests in Marathon every Saturday.
