Beaufort hospital following S.C. coronavirus testing criteria, one-visitor policy
Following an announcement Saturday that three people have tested positive for the coronavirus in Beaufort County, an area hospital said state officials have issued “new guidance” on who can get a doctor’s order for a COVID-19 test.
Patients need to meet several criteria to receive a physician’s order for COVID-19 testing, said Courtney McDermott, director of marketing and communications for Beaufort Memorial Hospital, in an email and news release. Patients must:
▪ Test negative for the influenza and strep
▪ Experience a fever, dry cough and shortness of breath
▪ Have traveled to a “high-activity country” for COVID-19 and/or have had close contact with someone diagnosed with or awaiting coronavirus testing results
State officials are “following evidence-based practices to protect patients and staff while conserving limited resources,” according to a Beaufort Memorial news release distributed on Sunday. Currently, specimens are being collected by the hospital and processed at the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control’s state laboratory.
Hospital officials are evaluating the possibility of using private labs as alternative testing sites in the future, said Chief Medical Officer Kurt Gambla in an email. “We hope to increase the screening capacity as additional resources become available to us,” he wrote, although he said there was no timeline for this.
On Monday, an elderly man in Lexington became the first person in South Carolina to die after testing positive for COVID-19.
As of Sunday afternoon, DHEC reported 344 coronavirus tests had been conducted.
“We must do everything we can to identify and test high-risk patients and prevent community spread of the virus,” said Beaufort Memorial President and CEO Russell Baxley in a news release. “At the same time we also must be good stewards of our resources by utilizing recommended criteria to guide our decisions.”
Gambla said testing results have not come back for the four Beaufort Memorial staff members quarantined last week after contact with two people under investigation for COVID-19 exposure.
He and other hospital officials have declined to say whether the confirmed Beaufort County coronavirus cases had contact with Beaufort Memorial, referring questions to DHEC, which also declined to provide any further information.
Other hospitals in South Carolina, including Lexington Medical Center and Prisma Health Richland Hospital, have provided basic details surrounding positive coronavirus cases to reporters.
Hospital visitation restrictions expanded
Visitation restrictions in place at Beaufort Memorial Hospital will now also apply to its outpatient facilities, said the hospital in a news release on Sunday.
The hospital has locations across the county, including in Bluffton, Beaufort and Lady’s Island.
The visitation restrictions include:
▪ Limiting patient visitation to immediate family members over the age of 18
▪ Restricting visitors to one per patient and prohibiting groups from coming to the hospital
▪ Prohibiting visitors with symptoms of the virus in patient care areas
Hospital staff are also adding a question to their symptom and travel screening assessment for patients and visitors, asking if the individual has had exposure to anyone diagnosed with or who has pending test results for COVID-19. If the answer is yes but the person doesn’t meet current criteria for testing, they will be asked to seek care via a telemedicine service or call to a primary care provider, according to a news release.
Hospital officials are urging patients to call ahead before arriving in-person at a doctor’s office or hospital.
New 911 protocols implemented
Beaufort County EMS dispatchers will now ask every caller whether anyone involved is displaying symptoms consistent with the corona virus, according to Maj. Bob Bromage, spokesperson for the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office.
Representatives from all of the county’s law enforcement and first response agencies met Monday morning to discuss response to the the virus, he said.
If 911 callers identify the possibility of coronavirus involvement, dispatchers will notify the the responding EMS and law enforcement personnel. They will wear protective equipment, including latex gloves and goggles, Bromage said.
Gambla with Beaufort Memorial said the hospital is not experiencing shortages of medical gloves and personal protective equipment, which the World Health Organization has warned are a possibility during the outbreak. A spike in COVID-19 cases could overwhelm South Carolina hospitals, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention modeling.
Other area hospitals decline to answer questions; free clinic closes
Daisy Burroughs, a spokesperson for Tenet Healthcare, which owns Hilton Head Hospital, the Bluffton Medical Campus, Tidewatch Emergency Department, and Coastal Carolina Hospital in Hardeeville, issued a short statement in response to emailed list of questions about testing procedures and other coronavirus preparations sent Monday morning.
“Our hospital has taken the appropriate steps, and we have trained professionals and the necessary equipment and supplies to react accordingly and appropriately care for our patients,” Burroughs wrote, adding that the hospitals are “evaluating opportunities for off-site testing.”
Burroughs didn’t elaborate further or respond to specific questions related to testing procedures, medical equipment, staff testing and contact with confirmed Beaufort County COVID-19 cases.
Jeremy Clark, CEO of Hilton Head Regional Healthcare, did not return two voicemails.
A message posted to Hilton Head Regional Healthcare’s website last week outlines visitor restrictions and links to CDC coronavirus information.
The Greater Bluffton Jasper County Volunteers in Medicine clinic, which offers free care by appointment to those without medical insurance, will be closed to patients starting Tuesday through April 1. “If a patient has a medical concern, we will have staff here to answer their questions,” said Pan Toney, executive director of BJVIM, who added that the clinic will be able to fill prescriptions by phone.
Jake Shore and Katherine Kokal contributed reporting.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREWhat you should know about the coronavirus
The coronavirus is spreading in the United States. Officials are urging people to take precautions to avoid getting sick, and to avoid spreading the disease if they do contract it.
Click the drop-down icon on this card for more on the virus and what you should do to keep yourself and those around you healthy.
What is coronavirus?
Coronavirus is an infection of the respiratory system similar to the flu. Coronaviruses are a class of viruses that regularly cause illnesses among adults and children, but this outbreak has spawned a new disease called COVID-19, a particularly harsh respiratory condition that can lead to death.
Health officials believe COVID-19 spread from animals to humans somewhere in China. It spreads among humans by physical person-to-person contact, including via coughs. That’s why health officials urge sick individuals to avoid contact with other people.
For more information, visit the website for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
What are the symptoms?
Symptoms are similar to the flu and include fever, coughing and shortness of breath.
How can I stop the spread of the coronavirus?
Wash your hands regularly with soap and water, and cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze.
If you develop symptoms similar to the coronavirus, you should seek medical attention. Stay home from work or school and avoid contact with others. It can take up to 14 days after coming into contact with the virus to develop symptoms.
COVID-19 is a new condition and there’s much about the disease we still don’t understand. For now, taking precautions is the best way to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
This story was originally published March 16, 2020 at 4:57 PM.
