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What's New:
COVID-19 Health Alert #13: Wisconsin Department of Health Services Recommendations for COVID-19 Testing
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) has revised recommendations for who should get tested for COVID-19. Testing is recommended for the following groups:
Individuals experiencing any of the following symptoms of COVID-19:
Fever, defined as a measured temperature greater than 100.4°F
Subjective fever, for example if a person feels unusually warm to the touch, or reports sensations similar to previous experiences of fever
Cough
Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Sore throat
Headache
Chills or rigors (repetitive shaking chills)
Myalgia (muscle aches)
New loss of taste or smell
Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea
Nasal congestion or runny nose
Individuals who have been in close contact with a person with COVID-19, regardless of symptoms
Asymptomatic individuals who have been instructed by a public health agency or a health care provider to get a COVID-19 test for the purpose of preventing the spread of infection
DHS released the State of Wisconsin Testing Framework, which is intended to support local and tribal public health leaders and healthcare partners as they develop equitable testing plans that engage their local partners, consider local assets and needs, and serve those at highest risk for infection, regardless of ability to pay. It provides a framework for state and local planning that focuses on the following key elements:
Testing priorities
Testing goals
Laboratory capacity
State & local responsibilities for testing accessibility
Resources to support testing
Measurement
Q&A
Q: My patient called and told my office that she was contacted by public health because she was a close contact to someone with COVID-19. She stated that public health suggested she get tested - is that accurate? Is public health suggesting testing for exposed, asymptomatic people?
Q: What if the result is negative? Can my patient be released from quarantine early?
A: No. We know that people can be "asymptomatic spreaders" so following people who had a known exposure and isolating them until they are not infectious is one of the ways we can reduce spread of COVID-19. A negative COVID-19 test is a snapshot in time. It means that at the time the sample was taken that person did not have an active infection. The test measures "infection, not exposure."2
July 7 - Aligning Local Testing Strategies with the State of Wisconsin's Testing Framework
In place of the standard Health Officer Open Forum, the Department of Health Services COVID-19 Response Testing Task Force will host a webinar for local and tribal health departments from 2-3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 7th to review the State of Wisconsin Testing Framework and considerations for local testing strategies.
This webinar will provide a high-level overview of the Testing Framework and available resources to support local testing efforts, including an introduction to the Testing Strategy Planning Template.
Please note this webinar is intended for local and tribal health department leaders and staff only. Please do not distribute this link outside your organization.
July 10 - Join DHS for a guest presentation by Dr. James Conway of the UW School of Medicine and Public Health and UW Health, titled "The Challenges of Rapidly Developing COVID-19 Vaccines."
