In today’s media briefing, Humboldt County Public Health Officer Dr. Teresa Frankovich took lots of questions on Humboldt County’s current infrastructure for COVID-19 testing, plus a few about hospital visitations, the economic effects of the fight against the virus and whether or not the Humboldt County Fair will be a go this year.

Below: A rough transcription, with timestamps of the precise questions asked and answered.

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(0:00) Humboldt County has ramped up testing considerably this month but it is still only averaging 100 tests per day, according to the results released publicly, while the state has indicated it wants to see an average of 200 people tested daily. What’s the biggest barrier to getting to that average locally and can you predict when Humboldt County might achieve that goal?

There are two things, here: testing volume and testing capacity. We’ve been testing 100 people a day at the Optum site – the community testing site at Redwood Acres. It has a capacity of 132 people per day (five days a week) and we’re working to get there. Numbers vary at the public health lab. We aim to have a capacity of 60 tests per day (six days a week).

Our capacity at this time is well over 200, which allows us to meet the criteria going foward. [Ed. Note: Those numbers don’t quite add up. Perhaps Dr. Frankovich was also adding in other commercially available testing options?]

(2:40) There is a lot of speculation regarding the lack of continuous testing, which results in the lower tabulation of positive tests, what words can you offer to assure the public there is a proper and amount of testing?

Over the last couple of weeks, the Optum site has given us a much larger capacity for testing. We’re also looking to get materials for a different type of test at the public, which would “hugely amplify our ability.” Optum believes it can also expand its capacity.

(5:10) Last week you mentioned that Public Health doesn’t have access to testing numbers or how many appointments are scheduled through OptumServe at the Redwood Acres site. Is there a timeline of when that data will be available to you? And released to the public?

That piece is now up and running and giving us better data, but we’re still not set up to report it on a daily basis.

(6:00) Are community members without symptoms being tested at this time?

Yes.

(6:20) Are county employees who test positive for COVID-19 being re-tested prior to returning to work?

That’s not generally how we do it. We use a “symptom-based strategy,” as recommended – three days of no symptoms, and at least 10 days past the onset of symptoms. Some workplaces have different guidelines, but the CDC says there is no reason to prefer a testing-based strategy to a symptom-based one.

(6:30) How many positive cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed at the community testing site?

One.

(6:45) Regarding the public information updates on positive cases locally, can you tell us anything at all in a general sense (not specific to individual cases to avoid HIPPA concerns) about the therapies or treatments for local patients, and if a ventilator has been used for treatment, etc?

We don’t comment on specifics. We’ve had no deaths related to COVID.

(8:10) In May, the Humboldt County Public Health Lab has reported it has supplies on hand to process an average of 1,294 additional tests. How do you balance the desire to test immediately with the need to keep an inventory on hand in the event of a surge and what’s the minimum supply you are comfortable with at any given time moving forward into phase two?

There are two issues – the amount of supplies on hand and our capacity to run tests. Our limiting factor, currently, is the volume of testing we can do in our tiny lab. We’re not hoarding supplies.

(10:10) Have you seen the demand for testing go up or down following the re-opening of some businesses? Are you seeing more people inquiring about testing than before?

There hasn’t been enough time for us to see a trend, but the schedule at the community testing site is looking pretty jammed this week.

(11:00) What has the county learned as surveillance testing has broadened?

Well over 600 tests have been done at the community testing sites (at Redwood Acres) and one positive. So we know that the virus is circulating in our community, but it doesn’t seem to be circulating much. This will be an important indicator as we move forward.

(11:55) How soon will the antibody testing be available in our area? (Hoopa or Willow Creek?)

It’s out there. Some providers are offering it. This is an exciting thing for public health, because it will give us further information about the levels of spread of virus in our community, but remember – we don’t yet know what having antibodies means on an individual level. Does it give you protection against the virus? If so, how long will it last? Right now it’s more of a public health than a personal health tool.

(13:20) What is the accuracy of the tests used locally for COVID-19? How will the accuracy be impacted when the county starts using less-invasive tests such as those with the oral swab or the front of the nose swab?

The public health lab’s test is very specific and sensitive. We can detect minute numbers of the virus. Same with the other PCR tests being done at the commercial level. They are excellent. Down the road, as we adopt these other tests – they’re not as efficient at detecting small amounts of virus.

(14:45) Mendocino County’s Sheriff stated “When does the chemo become worse than cancer” when referring to the current restrictions placed on the residents of the North Coast and its economic & mental health impacts. Can you share your thoughts on that statement?

Without commenting directly on the sheriff’s statement: We’re trying to balance. We’re trying to balance loss of life with all of the consequences we know occur when we restrict movement and economic activity.

14. Last week North Coast News interviewed a couple who had been married 56 years, the wife is hospitalized at St. Joe’s with cancer, but due to CDC guidelines, her husband is not allowed to visit with her to protect hospital patients from outside risk of COVID. May exceptions be made for visitors if they test negative first prior to entry, and who has the authority to make that decision?

Moving forward, we need to make the hospital as safe a space for patients as possible. The point-of-care tests that can be run are not good for picking up whether or not a person who is asymptomatic is carrying the virus. The very specific tests, like the kind that are run at the public health lab, take days to process.

These types of choices are made by the hospital, but we do recommend that they follow those guidelines.

(17:15) Do you think large outside/inside gatherings, such as the Humboldt County Fair, will be allowed by August 20?

It’s really too soon for us to know. We do know that mass gatherings will be among the last things to reopen.