Long lines as Alabama cities see new demand for coronavirus testing

A long line of cars snaked through the parking lot behind the First Baptist Church in Huntsville on Monday morning as people waited for COVID-19 evidence.

They were there for the test drives offered by Thrive Alabama, a local nonprofit medical organization. The test was scheduled to open at 10 am. But at 10:15 a.m., Thrive had to start rejecting people because they had already reached the testing capacity for the day. It took another three hours to test everyone who was already online.

“When we started testing in March, we were fortunate to get 30 people to cross the line,” said Marr. “The last three (trial days) we have had long queues and we had to reject people. But never 15 minutes after we open. That shows him the increase in the number of people who want to be tested. “

As coronavirus cases and hospitalizations in Alabama skyrocket to new levels, demand for testing has increased across the state, with mixed results. Some Alabamians have no trouble getting tested, while others face barriers that include strict testing criteria, a shortage of test supplies, and long lines.

In Birmingham, calls to the UAB Hospital call center, which handles requests from people looking for evidence of coronavirus, have doubled in recent days, said Jordan DeMoss, vice president of clinical operations at UAB Hospital. At Mobile, the city and USA Health partnered to screen up to 250 patients per day at the Mobile Civic Center. In Lee County, the Eastern Alabama Medical Center’s COVID-19 test call center received about 2,000 calls in total last week, but received 676 on Monday alone, according to EAMC officials.

On the way from Thrive’s twice-weekly car ride is Huntsville Hospital’s Fever & Flu Clinic, the largest testing site in the area. On Monday and Tuesday of this week, long lines engulfed the building.

“In the past two days, we tested more than 1,000 people by far the two busiest days we’ve had since the pandemic began,” said Huntsville Hospital CEO David Spillers.

The demand is so high that the clinic will now limit testing to patients who have symptoms, he said. She also announced Wednesday that Huntsville Hospital and Thrive would partner to open another test drive site at John Hunt Park in Huntsville that would evaluate patients with or without a doctor’s note.

Statewide, the COVID-19 positive test rate is 11%, the highest there has been, while COVID-19 hospitalizations statewide have also reached a record high.

“Although we are doing more testing, we are finding a higher percentage of people who are positive, and that means we know we have an increase in (virus) transmission in the community,” said Dr. Scott Harris, Health Officer for the State. Tuesday during a press conference.

Almost all Alabama counties have some testing capabilities, although not all testing sites operate every day. Tests are available, while supplies last, through county health departments and through federally qualified health centers like Thrive, which do not require insurance. Some private doctor’s offices and urgent care clinics also offer tests, although availability is patchy in many parts of the state.

The Alabama Department of Public Health maintains a partial list of approximately 200 test sites, as well as a 24/7 test hotline, 1-888-264-2256.

As demand increases, the ease of getting a COVID-19 test varies, according to AL.com readers.

Some said they were able to get tested quickly and easily. Others said the test was rejected because they did not meet strict criteria that required an underlying health condition or a specific age. Some were rejected due to a shortage of test supplies. Some said they had to try two or three different doctor’s offices before reaching one where they could be tested.

CDC has left the testing criteria to state and local agencies, and whether an individual meets the testing criteria may depend on where they are tested. The ADPH state lab will only accept test samples that meet certain guidelines, but urgent care clinics and private practice physicians who send their samples to commercial laboratories may have different criteria.

And then there is the waiting time. Some Alabamians told AL.com that they got their test results in a matter of hours; others waited a week or more.

Nationwide, demand for evidence has increased, threatening to overwhelm supply chains. Quest Diagnostics, one of the largest medical testing companies in the United States, called the demand for tests “unprecedented” in a recent statement, saying that test orders have increased approximately 50 percent in the past three weeks.

DeMoss said UAB Hospital has been able to obtain the necessary swabs and other sample collection supplies, although the reagents, the substances used to test the COVID-19 samples, are not as available as it would like.

Spillers said Wednesday that a shortage of reagents has been the main factor in limiting Huntsville Hospital’s ability to conduct more tests at the company.

“Evidence continues to be limited in our community and across the country,” he said. “In Huntsville, we get enough (reagent supplies) to do about 2,000 tests per week. Honestly, we could probably use twice as much if we had, only on our patients, doctors, staff and first responders. “

Marr said he would like to see the public’s increased desire for testing translate into increased social distancing, wearing of masks, and other infection prevention measures.

“I just don’t understand why people don’t wear their masks,” he said. “I want to make it mandatory, to keep me safe. The best protection is social distancing, not large groups, wearing a mask and washing your hands. “