Area residents scramble to be tested as virus cases increase

The Washington Ozaukee Public Health Department administered 1,268 Covid-19 tests at a free, drive-through clinic at Concordia University Wisconsin in Mequon, and reservations for another 1,200 tests to be done at the Washington County Fair Park in West Bend this week were spoken for by Saturday afternoon.

“It was crazy. We couldn’t keep up,” Public Health Officer Kirsten Johnson  said. 

The department had nine phone lines staffed with people taking reservations for the tests, and they had 25 calls coming in every 20 seconds for a time, Johnson said.

Most of those seeking tests aren’t ill, she said, and were not showing coronavirus symptoms. Many are fearful and couldn’t get the test elsewhere.

The health department hasn’t even gotten half the test results back yet, Johnson said Tuesday, noting “a handful” of those came back positive.

But overall, the county is still seeing increases in the number of people testing positive for the coronavirus, she said. Last Tuesday, Ozaukee County had 157 confirmed cases of the virus. This Tuesday,   it had 178.

Washington and Ozaukee counties registered 31 additional cases of the virus on one day last week, Johnson added.

It’s not surprising that the department saw such a peak last week, she said.

“People had quarantine fatigue,” she said, and it takes as long as 14 days for symptoms to show up.

“We anticipate it’s going to ebb and flow for the next few months as people interact more,” she said.

The county is seeing an increase in workplace outbreaks, Johnson said, and other worksites with isolated cases. An outbreak in a workplace is defined as two people who have a connection or interact and become ill, she said.

Last week’s peak may also have reflected a backlog at the laboratory where the test samples were analyzed, Johnson said.

Into the future, she said, the numbers are also expected to reflect increased access to testing in the area.

“What’s most important is we have access to testing,” Johnson said, noting that the large number of people seeking the county’s test likely reflect a pent-up demand.

People were appreciative of the testing at the site, she added.

The public health department is not planning to offer another testing clinic, Johnson said, noting that Aurora Health Care is working to establish drive-through sites in both Ozaukee and Washington counties. 

The number of positive cases in the state has been falling in recent days, even as they have increased locally. Johnson said that may reflect the fact that communities throughout the state have been operating under different rules.

While the testing being conducted currently reflects whether people currently have the Covid-19, many people want to get antibody tests to determine if they have already had the coronavirus.

But Johnson said antibody testing is “not yet totally accurate.” It still provides too many false positive and false negative results, she said.

“They’re working to fine tune it,” she said.