Mesa County, Colo.- Mesa County Public Health and 4 of our local hospitals came together to address concerns and answer questions on the Coronavirus. Our local health care system says it has the swabs necessary to conduct specimen collection, and emphasized that testing is not done here locally. The concern is not over a lack of swabs, but having enough testing labs to get results back as quick as possible. When testing began in state, the turnaround was at 24 hours, but has fallen to 5 days.

The other issue concerning the panic over people wanting to be tested, was answered by saying, these collection kits are for the most at-risk people. The public should remember that if you come in to be screened or are already feeling the symptoms, you will be given the same diagnosis. That diagnosis is to self-quarantine for two weeks and wait for the symptoms to pass. So, if you feel that you are experiencing the symptoms of COVID-19, you should immediately quarantine and call your physician. It is essential to remember not to show up at a medical center just because you feel flu-like symptoms, you only run the risk of exposing others.