Politics & Government
Hospitals: Don't Use Emergency Rooms To Get COVID-19 Tests
People with COVID-19 and people dealing with health emergencies are already overwhelming hospital emergency rooms, Wisconsin hospitals said.
January 10, 2022
Wisconsin hospitals urged the public Monday not to go to hospital emergency rooms in search of a COVID-19 test.
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Patients with COVID-19 and people with health emergencies such as stroke, heart attacks, injuries from car crashes and other urgent problems are already overwhelming hospital emergency rooms, according to the Wisconsin Hospital Association (WHA). In a statement issued Monday, WHA said that patients who go to an emergency room seeking routine COVID-19 tests “delay the provision of urgent care in emergency rooms, but also raise the risk of virus spread among medically vulnerable patients.”
The state Department of Health Services (DHS) has recommended that Wisconsin residents who wish to be tested for COVID-19 first consult their local health care provider. People seeking a test can also find a community testing site established for that purpose, often through the local health department.
Find out what's happening in Across Wisconsinfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Free at-home tests are also available through DHS. Information on COVID-19 testing resources is available at the DHS testing website or by calling 2-1-1.
On Friday, DHS also announced it was recommending that children 12 to 15 years old should receive a single booster dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. The announcement followed a recommendation from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
DHS also stated it was endorsing revised CDC guidance that fully vaccinated people should get a booster for the Pfizer or Moderna two-shot vaccine five months after their second shot. The new recommendation is one month sooner than the previous booster guidance.
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