While the number of cases of the coronavirus known as COVID-19 are on the cusp of surging across the U.S., cases of COVID-19 in Colorado edged up to 12 (presumptive positive cases) overnight. A woman in Larimer County was the ninth case, followed by one case each in Arapahoe, Denver, and Eagle counties. State health officials say they have tested 184 people for the highly infectious respiratory disease – each tested twice to confirm results.
Colorado is finally seeing a limited number of COVID-19 test kits available in the state. Each “kit” includes 500 tests. Photo courtesy of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Eight other earlier cases were reported in Summit, Eagle, Douglas and El Paso Counties. State health officials are urging Coloradans who believe they are infected, or who are showing symptoms (fever, cough, respiratory difficulties) to first call their doctors to arrange a visit, instead of going into an emergency room, an urgent care center, or the physician’s office. Doing so could potentially infect other people. If providers determine that a test is needed, they can then arrange to collect specimens from the nose and throat and get them to a Colorado state testing facility.
Health officials from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment say they can currently conduct 160 tests in the state, per day, but say that they still need to prioritize testing specimens that meet the current criteria. That criteria includes fever or signs of respiratory illness and either having had contact with a known COVID-19 patient, or having traveled to a location confirmed to have community spread of the disease.
Health officials have confirmed that as of Tuesday morning the state has 900 coronavirus testing kits and is expecting 700 more from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). All cases are referred to as “presumptive positive” until the CDC confirms the test results.
In addition to the 12 known cases, there appears to be some concern over 13 Australians visiting Aspen on vacation who might have been exposed. Tests on a Denver woman in her 70s have been inconclusive, so those tests have been sent to the CDC for verification. The Denver Post reported Tuesday morning that a Littleton (Arapahoe County) woman has symptoms and was tested last Friday, but says she still doesn’t have test results. All are in isolation while awaiting test results.
In Denver, Mayor Michael Hancock ordered a partial opening of the city’s emergency operations center. The city has eight residents in quarantine after having been in contact with a Denver resident who has tested positive to COVID-19.
In an effort to remove the financial barriers to getting tested for the COVID-19 virus, on Monday the Colorado Division of Insurance, under orders from Governor Jared Polis, asked insurers to waive costs including co-pays and deductibles, for those seeking COVID-19 testing.
Polis issued a statement that read, “Our administration is taking swift action to ensure Coloradans can get tested for COVID-19 without financial fear. This important step will help ensure cost barriers do not stand in the way of people getting tested.”
Those costs will be waived for those seeing testing at in-network doctors offices, urgent care centers or emergency rooms.
This policy of forgoing medical deductibles for testing of the coronavirus originated from President Trump and Vice Pres Pences’ meeting with the major health insurers today. THE INSURANCE COMPANIES agreed to waive co pays NOT Polis. Don’t take credit for something you didn’t do.
Are you addressing your comment to the Governor? Governor Polis’s announcement this morning announcing Monday actions preceded the meeting at the White House by several hours. When this article was written, no announcements had yet been made by President Donald Trump or Vice President Pence. That said, yesterday, the Trump administration designated the new COVID-19 test as an essential health benefit, saying Medicaid and Medicare plans would cover the cost of the screening. This afternoon they issued guidance to health insurance companies.