Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
Though coronavirus hasn’t been reported in New Mexico yet, state health officials and one of the region’s key health providers have taken steps to prepare for it or prevent it.
The New Mexico Department of Health stated in a news release last week it now can test for COVID-19, or coronavirus, that has sickened more than 100,000 people across the globe and severely disrupted shipping and production from China.
The test kits, provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, allow the Department of Health to test several hundred patients without having to send samples out of the state for testing.
“The State Scientific Laboratory not only expects more test kits to arrive imminently, it is also working with TriCore Reference Laboratories to establish testing at select locations across the state,” the release stated.
The testing at the lab will be provided at no cost.
The department had performed 57 tests for COVID-19 through Sunday. All were negative.
The Department of Health also is reviewing suspected COVID-19 infections in patients throughout the state. Testing will be considered for:
• Patients showing signs of illness who test negative for more common respiratory illnesses and have traveled to a country with a Level-3 travel warning, such as China, South Korea, Italy and Iran;
• Patients hospitalized with a severe respiratory illness, such as pneumonia, without an alternative diagnosis, regardless of travel history;
• Some specimens from patients around the state with flu symptoms who test negative for influenza.
Healthcare professionals who suspect COVID-19 should immediately notify infection control personnel at their facility and call the Department of Health at (505) 827-0006.
The Department of Health also announced it would activate its Department Operations Center at Level 3 this week in response to the epidemic.
Each day, the Department Operations Center operates at a Level 4, which is normal, standard operations. Level 3 is a slightly higher alert status and will ensure smoother logistics for activities being performed in anticipation of a possible outbreak, the agency stated in a news release.
The state agency asks all New Mexico residents returning from travel to China, South Korea, Italy and Iran to call its Epidemiology Hotline at (505) 827-0006 for guidance.
Presbyterian Healthcare Services, which operates Trigg Memorial Hospital in Tucumcari and Plains Regional Medical Center in Clovis, said it is preparing for coronavirus by screening patients for travel to affected countries or exposure to known exposed persons, following federal isolation guidelines from the CDC and ensuring supplies of personal protective equipment are sufficient and available to staff and patients at all facilities.
Presbyterian also recommends people create a household plan that includes discussing the needs of each person, including those at high risk; choosing a room to separate sick household members, learning about emergency plans at schools and workplaces; and practicing preventive care, including staying home if one is sick with COVID-19 symptoms, which include fever, cough and difficulty in breathing.