ERIE COUNTY, N.Y. — A spokesman for Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz says the continued lack of access to COVID-19 testing is “troubling."
Testing for COVID-19 during the pandemic is a critical tool for public health officials trying to suppress the spread of virus while anticipating potential healthcare needs like additional hospital beds.
It is more personal for Nicki Fernandes. Last week, the Buffalo woman told 2 On Your Side she has had difficulty breathing since March 12. Efforts by her, and her doctor, to get access to coronavirus testing have not been successful.
Fernandes said Saturday, “My fever spiked, fatigue took over heavy, it was hard to breathe.”
She went to ECMC where a chest x-ray ruled out pneumonia. Medical staff confirmed her symptoms match COVID-19, but without testing, the diagnosis was “viral syndrome.” Fernandes was sent back home and told to quarantine for another 14 days.
Fernandes says a Dr. Sarah M. Thompson suggested testing may not be available to the public for months. Fernandes provided to 2 On Your Side a "Patient Visit Information" sheet outlining the basics of her ECMC visit, listing the practitioner as Sarah M. Thompson.
Last week, Erie County Health Commissioner Gale Burstein acknowledged that the county public health lab only had the capability to complete 15 more tests. Both Burstein and Poloncarz have repeatedly said they were working multiple avenues to get more testing supplies.
At the same time, Governor Andrew Cuomo in his daily public briefings has talked about how much testing the state has done, focusing on the hardest hit areas of NYC, Long Island and Westchester County.
Erie County Spokesman Dan Meyer says there is clearly is an ongoing issue with local access to testing adding for now, “There’s no way for us to judge the delay or demand.”
On Saturday, Poloncarz provided an update on COVID-19 via Facebook and told viewers that he was hopeful the county would get more test kits in a few days.