A recurring question to City Limits is: “How can I get tested for coronavirus?” It is a logical question with all the concerns about symptoms and the lack of testing kits.
The first thing to know is a physician’s order is required for testing, just like it would be for tests for multiple other illnesses or diseases. Contact your health care provider to see if you can get a test.
The Indiana Department of Health’s “testing capabilities and reporting” memo sent to health care providers will give you some idea what the answer will be when you call your doctor’s office. A Monroe County physician provided a copy to WFIU/WTIU.
Guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control say state and local health departments and/or individual clinicians make decisions about testing. The CDC says clinicians should work with their state and local health departments to coordinate testing through public health laboratories, or work with clinical or commercial laboratories.
The Indiana State Department of Health memo asks providers to use their discretion in prescribing testing. The state department has set these priorities for approving tests:
Patients who require hospitalization with symptoms consistent with COVID-19.
Healthcare workers and first responders who have symptoms and may have been exposed.
Patients and staff who have direct contact with patients at long-term healthcare facilities who have symptoms and otherwise no known exposure.
Persons experiencing homelessness with symptoms and otherwise no known exposure.
Inmates and staff with direct contact with inmates at correctional facilities who have symptoms and otherwise no known exposure.
Patients 65 and older with symptoms consistent with COVID-19.
Patients with underlying health conditions and symptoms consistent with COVID-19. The CDC lists chronic lung disease, moderate to severe asthma, heart disease with complications, immunocompromised conditions including cancer treatment, severe obesity or diabetes, renal failure or liver disease, and pregnancy.
In addition, the memo says patients who died with suspected COVID-19 symptoms should be tested.
The Indiana State Department of Health memo further tells providers to only request testing as they feel is appropriate because “swabs and viral transport medium are scarce resources at this time.” It also lists numerous guidelines for safe testing, reporting and what to tell patients about telemedicine and home isolation.
Eli Lilly and Co. in Indianapolis is offering free drive-through testing for certain groups such as health care workers and first responders, but those tests too require physician’s orders.
The bottom line: If you want a test, contact your health care provider with this state health department guidance in mind.
Screening is a step short of testing. IU Health operates a virtual coronavirus screening process through the IU Health Virtual Visit app.
According to IU Health officials, the virtual screening is staffed 24 hours a day by IU Health physicians, advance practice providers and registered nurses who will screen patients who are at home. IU Health says “the team will recommend and facilitate appropriate pathways for care and provide direct access and communication with local hospitals as medically appropriate.”
The IU Health Virtual Visits app can be downloaded through Google Play or iTunes or you can enroll on your home computer.
Franciscan Health also offers free online screening to help determine if you need to be tested.
For the latest news and resources about COVID-19, bookmark our Coronavirus In Indiana page here.
