Complete Story
03/11/2020
What to Do with Suspected COVID-19 Cases
The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) has been in near-contiuous conversation with LeadingAge Ohio over recent weeks regarding their detection and monitoring of COVID-19 cases statewide. Testing kits are beginning to be available, though still, only one lab is processing the tests, Director Acton shared on a conference call with long-term care providers on Tuesday. The following resources detail current information regarding testing of Ohioans for COVID-19:
- Health Alert: Updated Guidance for Evaluation and Risk Assessment
- COVID-19 Testing Procedures
- COVID-19 Testing Algorithm
ODH has reminded providers that if you have a suspected case, the first call should be to the primary care physician, who is the only individual who can assess and order testing. After that, the local health department should be the second call.
At this point, providers should all be actively working with their regional emergency preparedness coalition to coordinate their response with other healthcare providers, in addition to working with their local health departments. In Ohio, there are eight regional county coalitions.