Health officials in New York City and Los Angeles County have recommended that doctors avoid testing patients except in cases when testing would significantly change the course of treatment.
The news release, from the Los Angeles Department of Public Health ,which advised doctors not to test those experiencing only mild respiratory system was released this week after the upraise of coronavirus victims across the country in the past week.
According to the statement, the recommendation reflects a “Shifting from a strategy of case containment to slowing disease transmission and averting excess morbidity and mortality.”
The recommendation continued that testing for coronavirus at the public health labs in Los Angeles will focus more on those with symptoms, health care workers, residents of long term facilities, paramedics and other high risk situations. Others will simply be encouraged to stay at home.
Simultaneously, New York City Department of Health has also directed all health facilities to stop testing non hospitalized patients for coronavirus.
A statement reads that “At this point in the pandemic, demand for unnecessary testing is contributing o the rapidly diminishing supply of PPE and leading to a decreasing supply of swabs and viral transport media used to collect diagnostic specimens for COVID-19 testing. Testing may play a more significant role after the pandemic has peaked.”
