NORFOLK, Va. — The Virginia Department of Health is changing its testing strategy at nursing homes and long-term care facilities - the deadliest locations for coronavirus infections - by adding "proactive" testing for all residents and staff members.
Point Prevalence Survey testing is now being used to test all people in a facility, regardless of symptoms, to prevent infection.
“This type of testing aims to test all residents and staff to detect the presence of infection," said Michael Keatts, VDH NW Regional Health Emergency Coordinator. "It can be used to assist with infection control measures such as separating the infected from the non-infected, and to help prevent the spread and transmission of infection.”
Keatts said VDH has identified about 100 long-term care facilities in need of preventative or widespread testing. He said with the help of the Virginia National Guard, VDH can test two or three facilities each day, meaning hundreds of additional people could be tested regularly.
“Point Prevalence testing does add to the total test count," Keatts said. "We are aggressively pursuing that with a lot of long-term care facilities and correctional facilities as needed, so that will naturally increase the test count.”
Keatts said this form or "proactive" testing is now possible due to expanded testing capacity.
“We’re in a much better place than we were a month ago in terms of our testing capacity, testing accessibility as well as active testing efforts," he said.
VDH says about 6,500 people are now being tested each day, with a goal of 10,000 per day.
Still, at a PPS testing rate of 2 or 3 long-term care facilities each day, it would take months for VDH to test all 100 senior centers on its priority list, and infection statuses can change rapidly.