HARRISBURG, Pa. - If someone in Pennsylvania has recently traveled to China or thinks they have been exposed to the virus, State Health Secretary Rachel Levine says they should contact their healthcare provider. but there’s a limit on how many tests the state can do.
"Depending on the clinical judgement of the physician and the judgement of our epidemiologist we can do a test on anybody if we think it’s indicated," says Levine.
Before this week almost all tests in the U.S. were done by the CDC in Atlanta. The test - a throat swab that goes through the nose - can be conducted by a local doctor. Then, it’s sent to a lab in Exton. Dr. Levine says the test can have a quick turnaround, but notes capacity is extremely limited.
"We can do approximately a half dozen tests per day. But we are expecting some new equipment by the end of the week to significantly increase that," says Levine.
Dr. Levine says private labs throughout the state are still awaiting FDA approval to conduct more tests, which may speed up the process.
Currently there are no known cases of coronavirus in Pennsylvania.
