The results are in with good news: Of the 1,000 free COVID-19 tests administered last weekend by Monongalia County Health Department and the West Virginia National Guard all came back negative.
“We are happy that a variety of individuals came out for free testing and we are happy to report this outcome,” said Dr. Lee B. Smith, MCHD executive director and county health officer.
The testing, which took place at the Big Lots parking lot on May 22 and Mountainview Elementary and the WVU Coliseum on May 23, was done in accordance with an order from Gov. Jim Justice to provide free COVID-19 testing in specific counties to vulnerable populations, including minorities and those with special needs and/or without primary health care providers.
Of the participants, 81.5% identified as white; 8.2% as black or African-American;
5.3% as Asian; 2.1% as multi-ethnic; 1.8% as Hispanic and in 1.1% of the tests, that information was not given.
In terms of age ranges, 22.1% of the individuals were 60-69, the highest percentage of any age range. In a statistical dead heat were three other age categories: 20-29, 14.7%; 70-79, 14.6% and 50-59, 14.1%.
Individuals 40-49 were at 12.4%; those 30-39 represented 11.3% of those tested.
The remaining age groups of those tested were 80-89, 3.8%; 10-19, 3.5%; 0-9, 2.1% and 90-plus, 0.8%. Five individuals, or 0.5%, did not provide an age.
Testing was organized with a week’s notice and was pulled off with 42 individuals on May 22 at one location and 63 individuals at two locations on May 23. For May 22, there were 13 MCHD staff,
22 West Virginia National Guardsmen and seven volunteers.
For May 23, the breakdown is: MCHD staff, 16; West Virginia National Guardsmen currently housed at MCHD, four; additional West Virginia National Guardsmen, 27; and 16 volunteers.
“We are very pleased with these negative test results, but people still need to be aware that we still have COVID-19 in the county and that everyone should exercise the proper precautions to avoid getting it,” Smith said.
Those precautions include wearing a mask in public, maintaining a social distance of six feet from others and washing hands frequently for 20 seconds with warm water and soap.
Monongalia County continues to open back up under Justice’s plan, The Comeback, but a spike in COVID-19 cases could result in a reversal of some of those trends.
“If we see an increasing number of COVID-19 cases, then commerce may slow, halt or return to closure of all but essential services,” Smith said. “We are dependent upon everyone’s cooperation to prevent a rise in the number of positive cases. Everyone in our county is in this together. We need to be reasonable in our decision making and remember that it is our actions that will determine how quickly things open up.”
As of Thursday morning, Monongalia County has had 121 positive COVID-19 cases and five deaths.
Smith said at least 1 in 4 individuals with COVID-19 do not have symptoms, which can include fever, dry cough and trouble breathing.
The health department is looking for more testing opportunities, especially in vulnerable populations.
This weekend marks Day 70 for MCHD’s response.
