By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
Mosaic Life Care officials say they have an adequate number of kits to test for coronavirus, COVID-19.
Mosaic CEO, Dr. Mark Laney, says Mosaic has sent 23 COVID-19 tests to the state and a commercial lab. Tests are being limited to those displaying symptoms of COVID-19.
“In the current criteria that we’re moving forward with, that the state has given us, is a dry cough and a temperature of at least 100-point-4,” Laney tells reporters during a news conference. “If you don’t have those two symptoms, you are unlikely to test positive.”
Laney says the testing criteria is fairly strict now, but should soon expand as the state begins increasing testing capacity in the next couple of weeks.
Mosaic has tested 23 people for COVID-19. Seven tests remain pending. All the others have come back negative for the virus.
Laney says they have the supplies necessary to handle those displaying symptoms consistent with the virus.
“We’ve been able to test everybody that meets the criteria of a seriously potential case and that has been done,” Laney says.
Agreeing, is Mosaic Chief Medical Officer Davin Turner.
“If we get the green light to go test, we have the ability to collect the specimens and send the test and we have been able to do so,” Turner says.
Mosaic is sending tests to both the state lab and a commercial lab. No one in the St. Joseph area has tested positive for COVID-19, but Mosaic officials say it is a matter of when, not if, someone tests positive.
Turner says Mosaic has prepared for COVID-19 patients.
“It is inevitable. We are a big enough community. We have a major interstate that goes right through the middle of our community. Folks are going to show up and they will be positive,” according to Turner. “I can’t imagine at the end of this that we will be able to sit here and say we did not have a case in our community. I just can’t see it.”