Allentown Prepares to Test More People for Coronavirus
Written by Victoria Scialfa on March 13, 2020
Allentown Prepares to Test More People for Coronavirus
By Tyler Pratt
March 13, 2020
Allentown doesn’t currently have a case of COVID-19, but health officials there say they’ve already tested a few individuals — and all came back negative
WLVR’s Tyler Pratt has more on what residents should do if they’re feeling ill and think they need a test.
The state now has more commercial testing sites available than it did last week, but Allentown Health Bureau Director Vicky Kistler says that doesn’t mean more people should try to get tested.
“If someone has a minor sneeze or what they have as a seasonal allergy it isn’t important to run off and get a test,” said Kistler.
Kistler says some urgent care centers now offer testing, but a doctor’s referral is still needed to get a test from a lab.
“You need to get tested if you have the symptoms of a lower respiratory disease which is a deep cough, a possible shortness of breath, it is a fever above 100.4. Those are individuals who are candidates for testing,” said Kistler.
The CDC and many other health officials recommend that if you suspect you are sick, call a doctor’s office first before showing up.
For a full list of our reports and resources, visit WLVR.org/health.
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