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Chelsea Jones view as she went in her car to get checked for COVID-19 at a Sutter Health drive-up testing site in South Berkeley. Photo: Chelsea Jones

When Berkeley resident Chelsea Jones developed shortness of breath and a tightness in her chest, she was immediately worried that she had contracted COVID-19. She called her healthcare provider but was met with roadblocks. After filling out a questionnaire, she was told she didnt need to be tested for the novel coronavirus. When she tried to sign up for a video appointment, there were none available.

Things started to look up when Jones received a message through Sutter Healths online portal instructing her to call the COVID-19 triage line. Despite not having traveled overseas, not having any preexisting conditions, and being 32, Jones (for whom we are using a pseudonym to protect her privacy) was told to visit a Sutter Health drive-up testing site in South Berkeley and was given an appointment time. There, a doctor evaluated her through the drivers window, taking her temperature, examining her throat and listening to her heart and lungs.

The doctor said that all my vitals were normal and that my lungs sounded clear, and that this, plus my lack of fever, means he doesnt think I have COVID-19, Jones* said in an email. Given this, he said that he doesnt think it made sense to test me at this time, especially because even if I did have COVID-19, they wouldnt do anything different.

With or without a diagnosis, the doctor told her, the treatment would be the same: stay home.

Jones breathed a sigh of relief and went back to self-isolating in her home.

Joness experience is typical. Most people who want to get tested for COVID-19 cannot, even if they are experiencing symptoms. Due to a shortage of kits around the country, testing is reserved for high-priority patients.

Tweets and emails about the frustration at not being able to get a test abound.

One UC Berkeley student wrote to Berkeleyside and described crowded conditions at University Health Services at the Tang Center on Bancroft Way, where very few tests are being given. He expressed frustration at a lack of information about test availability and not being able to take his university insurance to other healthcare providers to find a test.

Students must start treatment at the Tang Center, but it does not feel safe and the hours have been slashed after the shelter-in-place order, the student wrote.

As of Monday, Berkeley had 10 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including at least one spread by community contact, but it is likely that the actual number of cases is much higher.

Per CDC guidelines, hospitals are limiting testing to high-priority groups, such as those exhibiting severe symptoms, with preexisting conditions, and those who have been directly exposed to someone diagnosed with COVID-19. Healthcare professionals and the elderly are also likely to be more eligible for testing.

The most powerful tool to fight COVID-19 is non-pharmaceutical interventions like social distancing. Matthai Chakko, city of Berkeley spokesman

City officials emphasize that social distancing not testing is the best way to stop the spread of COVID-19 in our community.

We have to understand that testing is not a medicine, said Matthai Chakko, a spokesman for the city of Berkeley, which has its own health department. Chakko warned against socializing in seemingly benign ways, such as playing volleyball with friends or having a picnic. The most powerful tool to fight COVID-19 is non-pharmaceutical interventions like social distancing.

Chakko also warned against overburdening the healthcare system, especially as infections skyrocket in the United States and throughout the world.

What we are concerned about is a surge and overwhelming of our healthcare system, said Chakko. People who have mild illnesses should generally handle them on their own.

That being said, if you are experiencing potential COVID-19 symptoms, there are several places where you can go to get tested in Berkeley, often for a fee. The first step is to call your regular healthcare provider, who will evaluate you to determine if you qualify for testing. You might also choose to use this self-triage tool to determine whether it would be prudent to take the next steps. (Scroll down for a list of testing providers.)

There are a few places you cant go to get tested. If you are experiencing symptoms, do not immediately go to Urgent Care, to the emergency room or other public health locations in Berkeley. Do not call the city of Berkeley Department of Public Health expecting a diagnosis.

A week after first reporting her symptoms, Jones is feeling a bit better. Though the tightness in her chest hasnt gone away, she felt well enough to spend Sunday working in her garden, planting broccoli, carrots and chard. She feels much less anxious about her personal situation but is concerned about whats to come, encouraging community members to take preventative measures like social distancing seriously.

Carbon Health is a healthcare provider that offers testing to any California resident for a $167 flat fee you do not have to be a member. To find out if you are eligible for testing, complete the companys Coronavirus Assessment Tool. Eligible patients will then virtually consult with a healthcare professional. If deemed eligible, patients can come to the organizations Berkeley office on Telegraph Avenue. Even this organization is experiencing shortages in test-kits, though, and needs to triage accordingly. A sign on the door of its Berkeley office explains to patients that the clinic has a very limited supply available each day.

LifeLong Medical Care provides health and social services, including to underserved communities such as low-income, elderly or disabled people. LifeLong offers three curbside COVID-19 testing locations in Berkeley and Oakland for LifeLong members who have been pre-screened by staff and deemed eligible. The services are offered at no cost to members, but Lifelong emphasizes that patients should call the center first to limit exposure for its staff.

Kaiser Permanente Kaiser members are advised that if that if they are feeling sick they should contact their regular doctor through Kaisers online platform or complete an e-visit, answering a COVID-19 questionnaire. If you might be eligible for testing, your doctor will refer you to Kaisers drive-up testing services at a site in the East Bay (the locations and hours of operation are not public). You must be a Kaiser member to be tested. If you are tested, you will receive results in four to seven days. You will not be charged for screening or testing if you are a Kaiser member.

Sutter Health installed drive-up testing services this week in Berkeley and Oakland, but the exact locations are not public. If Sutter is your regular healthcare provider, contact your doctor to receive the triage assessment hotline. Your doctor will refer you if you are eligible for testing. Sutter promises to waive testing co-pays in advance of the test but may charge patients afterwards.

John Muir Health provides testing services to members who have been recommended by a John Muir doctor. Once screened, patients will receive an appointment day and time at an urgent care site in Berkeley or one of the providers three other sites.

OneMedical has offices in Berkeley and Oakland that provide COVID-19 testing to members who meet their eligibility requirements. Patients screened through its online service will be assigned a location and time to collect the sample before sending it to a lab.

Tang Medical Center at UC Berkeley reports a very limited testing capacity for students, and even more limited capacity for the public. As a result, the center is prioritizing testing where the result could influence decisions about clinical care or isolation housing. In other words, testing will be considered only if the advice would be anything other than to self-isolate. Stringent testing requirements could leave students who are on the universitys health insurance plan with limited access to testing. However, the Tang Center is currently working on developing its testing capacity. Tang also advises students to get prescreened by calling the Nurse Advice Line at 510-643-7197 before coming in.

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You probably can't get tested for COVID-19 in Berkeley. But here's how it works - Berkeleyside

This entry was posted on March 24, 2020 at 3:44 am and is filed under Preventative Medicine. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed. |