This week my spouse and I navigated through the ever-changing landscape surrounding Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) testing. We started and ended our telephonic journey with our family practitioner. We dealt with Public Health Seattle & King County, Washington State Department of Health, Governor Jay Inslee, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and Congresswoman Susan DelBene. Throughout this experience our emotions ran the gambit from anger, disappointment, frustration and finally resignation.

We are in good health and seniors (well over 60 years of age). Until the current malady, we would characterize ourselves as being in excellent health without any underlying medical conditions.

We live in King County, Washington and know from our medical professionals and public health entities the COVID-19 virus community spread in our county/state continues.

As of last night, the county had identified 338 cases, with 35 of those having succumbed to the virus.

I had been ill for over six weeks and my wife two.

While we have been isolating ourselves as best we can from others, we felt it time to advise our general practitioner that our cold/flu seems to be lingering, and we’d been abroad in January.

After multiple telephonic consults, our doctor wished to have the two of us tested for COVID-19.

But, our provider advised they lacked personal protection equipment (PPE) so coming into their office for a sample to be taken to be sent to the testing lab was out of the question.

Recommendation – go to the Emergency Room.

We balked.

Rationale, we were not acute, prudence says save those spaces for those with immediate life or death needs; nor did we wish to go where we would be guaranteed to be in the presence of those who are ill or corralled with those who are presumed to have COVID-19.

We started calling.

Navigating public health

First stop, King County public health. They are rock stars.

Our conversation was straightforward, there is testing available, your health care provider can get you the test, this is how – they then called our health care provider and shared the how. Which again met with the conclusion, lack of PPE made it imprudent.

Later in the day, King County called back.

They had found an emergency room where they had the ability to take samples and conduct tests. The hospital was 45 minutes away, in the heart of Seattle, regardless of the test outcome, we’d be asked to isolate for another 14 days – contact your provider and have them coordinate.

We called, our practitioner had changed their guidance from go to the ER to stay where you are (Caveat: If your condition deteriorates call 911).

Next stop Governor Jay Inslee’s office. We spoke to one of his aides who was most empathetic, and kept pointing us to the State’s Department of Health website, but seemed to be missing the point – we’d followed their guidance and were caught in a position where samples couldn’t be taken, as the state doesn’t have enough PPE for all health care providers — any ideas who might have the PPE? That call ended, with “Our thoughts and prayers are with you guys, good luck.”

Next to Senator Murray. The staff’s reaction was empathetic and they listened. Our conversation was largely about the lack of PPE and how this was evolving to be a major choke-point, to testing. Later we saw Senator Murray speaking about a conversation she had with a constituent, it might as well had been us.

We reached out to Congresswoman Susan Delbene’s office and they were extraordinary. Took our information, noted that they are receiving many similar calls, asked us to sit tight, while they searched for a solution.

Later that same day they called us back and shared how the “qualification criteria” for testing was every-changing, and that their recommendation was to revert back to the health care provider – duly noting that no swabs could be taken without adequate PPE.

The commonality of all we encountered, we want to help, the limited amount of supplies means that testing, for now is not possible here in our community.

Yet inexplicably we learn from media how a few states over, 58 people within the Utah Jazz organization can get themselves tested lickity split.

Seems some things are out of balance.

Without testing we are blind

The words from Dr. David Ho, are so important – “without testing we are blind.” This is the doctor who broke the code on HIV and who is actively engaged working on COVID-19. Here’s his interview with Rachel Maddow.

King County, Washington Protocol

The protocol for King County, Washington, as of 14 March 2020 notes the availability of testing and the hurdles to be cleared to be tested. The county highlights how “people do not always need to be tested for clinical care purposes since there is currently no medication to treat COVID-19.“

To download the Washington Department of Health guidance on COVID-19 testing – CLICK HERE (one page PDF)

The week ahead

By weeks end our resignation had evolved to patience and understanding. Our physical condition was much improved, our multi-week hermit mode at our home was paying dividends, and while we would like to eventually know if we had or didn’t have COVID-19, we are both recovered from whatever it was that debilitated us for these past few weeks.

As we head into this week, never has it been more important for all of us to shackle the spread of rumors and incomplete information which serves only to fuel fear, uncertainty and doubt (FUD).

While social networks spread information fast and furious, it is not always accurate information. Similarly, the national media outlets are sharing what’s happening across the nation, which may or may not be applicable to your location.

Your best information comes from those most invested in you, your local public health officials and your own medical practitioner.

To that end, I created this map which will link you to the 50 U.S. State’s department of health (or equivalent), Washington DC and the territories of the United States. This will allow you to click and learn , so that you may obtain the information which is germane to your locale.

NOTE: We thank @File411 for providing us the links to make this map possible.

Patience is a virtue

While we cycled through the emotions of anger, disappointment, frustration and resignation, in the end we arrived at a position of understanding.

For this reason, amidst the frustration of lack of ability to test, I urge patience as the ability to test ramps up together with the resupply of PPE for those who need to take our samples.

Without the latter, we will have fewer of samples to be tested.

I thank you for your time and please remember to keep your distance from one another
Christopher Burgess

King County, Washington COVID-19 resource page: CLICK TO READ

Washington State COVID-19 resource page: CLICK TO READ