Hospitals in the greater Washington region are discouraging people who are asymptomatic or have mild covid-19 symptoms from seeking coronavirus tests in emergency rooms and urgent care offices, which are already struggling to treat severely ill patients while short staffed.
FAQ: What to know about the omicron variant of the coronavirus ArrowRight
Amid a surge in coronavirus infections, emergency medicine physicians are seeing a sharp increase in patients seeking tests — many of whom were unable to access testing elsewhere even as more workplaces and schools require negative tests to return.
“Do not come to the hospital looking to get tested,” said Bill Grimes, a vice president at the University of Maryland Charles Regional Medical Center, pointing to wait times as long as eight hours because of people “who frankly don’t need to be there.”
Story continues below advertisement
The rapid increase in coronavirus cases in the region has prompted public health experts to call for action from elected officials even as health departments and hospitals established new testing sites to accommodate the increased need.
Advertisement
Tanveer Gaibi, chairman of emergency medicine at the Inova Fairfax Medical Campus, said he understands why people rush to the emergency department. “They are scared. They have a covid exposure. They want to get tested,” he said.
People with severe coronavirus symptoms, such as difficulty breathing, intense chest pain, severe weakness or a high temperature for days should consider going to the emergency room, Virginia public health officials say. But people with a cough, sore throat, runny nose, or body aches — or individuals simply seeking a test — should first consult an outpatient primary care provider.
Story continues below advertisement
In a rare joint statement Thursday, the Virginia Department of Health and Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association reiterated the call to avoid “unnecessary trips to already burdened hospital emergency departments.”
Advertisement
Patient safety top concern as emergency rooms fill up
The state recently surpassed 1 million total cases and documented more than 51,000 new infections since Dec. 24. Hospitalizations have more than doubled in December yet remain below the peak reported in Virginia one year ago, thanks largely to vaccines, officials said.
Rates are at record levels in D.C., where the District of Columbia Hospital Association issued a statement encouraging residents to seek routine testing at a city site to help emergency departments focus on true emergencies.
Story continues below advertisement
Help from the federal government may also be on the way.
During ongoing conversations between local and federal authorities, D.C. officials “said emphatically yes” to offers of expanded testing, according to a Biden administration official speaking on the condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the White House.
Advertisement
“There is an acute need for testing in D.C.," the official said.
A D.C. Health official, speaking anonymously Thursday before the formal announcement of the testing site, said the Biden administration reached out to local leaders after noting that the District had a high volume of coronavirus cases and of people seeking tests. The forthcoming federal site will add modestly to local testing capacity, with the ability to process about 500 people per day, the local official said.
Story continues below advertisement
Reginald Brown, director of the emergency department at Doctors Community Health System, said the reality is that the emergency department is a safety net for people without health care, but said coronavirus testing for people who are asymptomatic or only mildly ill drains resources.
“Our thought process is if you’re asymptomatic or have no symptoms after a positive exposure, you can really wait this out at home," he said in an interview Thursday. "As long as your symptoms resolve in five to seven days you don’t necessary have to have a test.”
Advertisement
“We understand that the community wants to know. Around the holiday season, people wanted to know for travel or if they wanted to attend an event," Brown said, adding that New Year’s Eve parties and large gatherings should be canceled anyway.
Story continues below advertisement
The holidays and spread of the highly contagious omicron variant have fueled a wave of coronavirus cases among the unvaccinated and, to a lesser but still significant extent, vaccinated and boosted people.
That includes Alexandria Mayor Justin M. Wilson (D), who on Thursday was isolating in a hotel room in Madrid, where he was on vacation with his family.
“I felt fine all day, just [upset]," he said, noting that he had been diligently masking, even outside.
The spike in cases in Maryland prompted public health officials on Dec. 24 to urge state Health Secretary Dennis R. Schrader to reinstate the indoor mask mandate previously lifted by Gov. Larry Hogan. House Speaker Adrienne A. Jones (D-Baltimore County) on Thursday also called for “decisive action" in a tweet.
Advertisement
Story continues below advertisement
“The science we have on masking has been hard earned by human lives. Given the current numbers, it seems wise to consider taking urgent action," reads a letter signed by groups, including the Maryland State Medical Society and Maryland Hospital Association.
Hogan spokesman Michael Ricci said state officials planned for the surge in hospitalizations and is responding to every request for resources, including more testing availability.
Schrader blamed the spike in infections in part on people growing lax with precautions such as mask-wearing and social distancing, but said a reinstatement of the mask mandate is not on the table. Instead, state officials aim to build a culture where people voluntarily do the right thing, he said.
Story continues below advertisement
“We want people to use their common sense,” he said in an interview Thursday.
Advertisement
He rejected the state hospital association’s call for a partial state of emergency, instead pointing to pledges of cash for short-staffed hospitals and the National Guard to help with surge testing, he said.
“We’re in this for the long haul,” Schrader said.
For example, the state health department will open testing sites on Friday at University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health (500 Upper Chesapeake Drive in Bel Air) and at Anne Arundel Medical Center (South Pavilion, 2001 Medical Parkway in Annapolis).
Each site will be open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., including New Year’s Day. Only walk-ups will be accepted; scheduled appointments will not be available. The sites will offer PCR lab tests, and results generally take 24 to 48 hours.
Story continues below advertisement
In response to the high volume of emergency department and urgent care visits, Inova on Thursday opened a coronavirus testing site for symptomatic people, by appointment only. The site, at 2990 Telestar Court in Falls Church will be open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday, and weekend hours may be added depending on demand. To schedule an appointment, call 571-472-6843.
Teo Armus, Meryl Kornfield, Julie Zauzmer Weil and Ovetta Wiggins contributed to this report.