Should I Be Tested For Coronavirus? Wisconsin Officials Say

MADISON, WI — Health officials in Wisconsin are now conducting tests for the new coronavirus on-site, hoping that it results in faster, more accurate results.

Test samples previously were sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia. Wisconsin officials first received a test kit in early February, however technical problems delayed rolling out the test until they could be resolved.

According to a JSOnline report, it took multiple rounds of quality control and testing to iron out the problems with the test. With those problems out of the way, two locations in Wisconsin are set to test local cases.

Wisconsin health officials say that tests are capable of being run at the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene at the UW-Madison, and the Milwaukee Health Department.

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Health officials say the test is the redesigned CDC test that has FDA Emergency Use Authorization. Test performance has been verified in both labs.

Positive test results identified by the State Lab and the City of Milwaukee Health Department lab will be presumed positive and sent to the CDC for confirmation.

“While the risk of getting COVID-19 in Wisconsin remains low, having the ability to test at the State Lab and the City of Milwaukee Health Department lab will allow for faster results to let people with symptoms of the illness know with certainty if they have COVID-19,” Jeanne Ayers, State Health Officer and Administrator of the DHS Division of Public Health said in a news release. “Faster test results will also help our epidemiologists and local health departments monitor people suspected of having the virus and other people who may have been exposed to it."

Should I Be Tested?

According to health officials in Wisconsin, people must meet certain criteria for testing for COVID-19, including: having symptoms of the virus, such as fever, cough, and shortness of breath, and having traveled to areas where the infection is active (China, Iran, South Korea, Italy) within 14 days of when symptoms began or having had contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case.

Additionally, people having severe lower respiratory illness that requires hospitalization, along with no other positive tests for influenza or other respiratory diseases may be considered for COVID-19 testing.

Schools And Businesses Should Be Ready

State health officials say they are working with other state agencies, local and tribal health offices, and the health care community to prepare in the event COVID-19 becomes a pandemic.

"Schools and businesses should have plans prepared to inform students, staff, and employees of steps that will be taken in the event of a pandemic," the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, said in a statement Monday. Planning information for businesses and schools can be found on the CDC website.

Businesses and other employers should prepare to institute flexible workplace and leave policies for employees who are ill or need to stay home to care for sick family members or to care for children if they are dismissed from school, health officials urged Monday.

How To Guard Against COVID-19

As with any virus, such as influenza or a cold, you must take steps to avoid catching and spreading the infections. You should:

• Frequently and thoroughly wash your hands.
• Cover coughs and sneezes.
• Stay home when you are sick.

As influenza remains active in Wisconsin, you should get a flu shot if you already haven't gotten one.

Note: a previous version of this story reported three testing sites in Wisconsin in error. This story has been corrected to report two testing sites.