{"id":1319615,"date":"2020-04-23T21:48:00","date_gmt":"2020-04-24T03:48:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/testing-for-pitkin-county-residents-with-virus-symptoms-begins-friday\/"},"modified":"2020-04-23T21:48:00","modified_gmt":"2020-04-24T03:48:00","slug":"testing-for-pitkin-county-residents-with-virus-symptoms-begins-friday","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/local-news\/testing-for-pitkin-county-residents-with-virus-symptoms-begins-friday\/","title":{"rendered":"Testing for Pitkin County residents with virus symptoms begins Friday"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure class=\"wp-block-image p402_hide\">\n<div class=\"caption-container\"> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"660\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/04\/testing-atd-042420-1-1024x660.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-post-image\" alt srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/04\/testing-atd-042420-1-1024x660.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/04\/testing-atd-042420-1-300x193.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/04\/testing-atd-042420-1-768x495.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/04\/testing-atd-042420-1-1536x991.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/04\/testing-atd-042420-1-2048x1321.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"><figcaption><strong>Aspen Assistant Police Chief Bill Linn on Thursday exits the command center at the Limelight Hotel in Aspen for the team managing the virus outbreak in Pitkin County. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)<\/strong><br \/><em>Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times<\/em><\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Testing for any Pitkin County resident with COVID-19 symptoms \u2014 even if they\u2019re mild \u2014 will begin Friday, as the community moves into a new phase in the battle against the coronavirus, officials said Thursday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">However, a previously <a id=\"N0xf1d1e0N0xf02070:N0xf1d1e0N0xe64790\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/pitkin-county-covid-19-antibody-testing-pilot-program-starts-friday\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">planned effort to test 1,000 county residents<\/a><i class=\"fas fa-external-link-alt\"><\/i> for COVID-19 antibodies, which would help determine the depth of the community infection, has been put on hold indefinitely amid concerns about the test\u2019s accuracy.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cBefore using (the antibody test) we\u2019d like to see more validation from the FDA,\u201d Pitkin County Manager Jon Peacock said Thursday during an online COVID-19 community meeting. \u201cIf there\u2019s further validations, we will look at providing it to the community.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">In the meantime, local public health officials plan to put all their energy into what they\u2019re calling a <a id=\"N0xf1d1e0N0xf020d0:N0xf1d1e0N0xe64940\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/official-testing-strategy-esssential-to-opening-aspen\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u201cbox it in\u201d strategy<\/a><i class=\"fas fa-external-link-alt\"><\/i> to fight the coronavirus. That entails testing people with symptoms, quarantining them until tests results indicate they\u2019re positive or negative and isolating them if they test positive. Then investigators must track down at least 90% of the people the symptomatic person was in contact with, quarantine them and isolate each one if they test positive.<\/p>\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"col\">\n<div class=\"row gspi-donation gspi-donation-mobile p-0\">\n<div class=\"col-xl-4 p-2\">\n<div data-bg=\"url(https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/03\/PI-logo-white.png)\" class=\"p-0 mt-2 mb-2 h-75 text-center rocket-lazyload\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/03\/PI-logo-white.png\" class=\"logo m-0 p-0 invisible\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-bg=\"url(https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/03\/pi-banner-paypal.jpg)\" class=\"col-xl-8 p-3 text-center rocket-lazyload\">\n<h3 class=\"d-inline mr-3\">Support Local Journalism<\/h3>\n<p><button class=\"btn d-inline\" type=\"button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/donate\/?utm_source=article&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_campaign=donation&amp;utm_term=&amp;utm_content=mid-article\">Donate<\/a><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The strategy is commonly used in public health to contain what are generally small-scale outbreaks of diseases like tuberculosis, hepatitis A or HIV, said Karen Koenemann, county public health director.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">But <a id=\"N0xf1d1e0N0xf02130:N0xf1d1e0N0xe64af0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/coronavirus\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">in the case of COVID-19<\/a><i class=\"fas fa-external-link-alt\"><\/i>, the strategy was overwhelmed by the number of cases because it is labor intensive and the county, state and country did not have nearly enough people to do the monitoring and legwork inherent in the plan, she said. In order to do effective contact-tracing in the case of the coronavirus, public health departments need about one investigator for every 1,000 residents, Koenemann has said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">That means Pitkin County \u2014 with about 18,000 residents \u2014 will need about 18 people to get the job done. Peacock has said the county will retrain employees currently idled by the coronavirus limitations and hire others as contact investigators. The infrastructure and staffing levels should be in place and ready to go by next week, Koenemann said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cWe\u2019ve been building an army of contact tracers,\u201d she said during Thursday\u2019s community meeting.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Aspen Valley Hospital also has been busy preparing to implement the strategy and has reached a point where transmission levels appear to be decreasing, said Dave Ressler, hospital CEO.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">First, hospital officials have stockpiled personal protective equipment, which is necessary to collect the virus samples, he said. In addition, the staff is now mostly healthy, with only five hospital workers out with COVID-like symptoms as of Thursday, down from about 20 two weeks ago, he said. In addition, zero patients with COVID symptoms have appeared at the hospital in the past 24 hours, Ressler said Thursday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cWe\u2019ve been conserving our resources for this day,\u201d he said. \u201cThis plan has true merit.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\"><a id=\"N0xf1d1e0N0xf02190:N0xf1d1e0N0xe64e98\" href=\"https:\/\/covid19.colorado.gov\/data\/case-data\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Pitkin County has had 57 positive cases<\/a><i class=\"fas fa-external-link-alt\"><\/i> since March 8 and two deaths, according to the state\u2019s database. Aspen Valley Hospital has had 12 patients admitted and\/or transferred and tested positive for the virus, <a id=\"N0xf1d1e0N0xf021f0:N0xf1d1e0N0xe64f28\" href=\"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/1mBYSBLsxmAZQr4pdVs-78GbmFJirVKHs\/view\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">per Pitkin County\u2019s update<\/a><i class=\"fas fa-external-link-alt\"><\/i> through Wednesday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The test associated with the box-it-in strategy is known as a PCR test, which tells health care officials if a patient actively has the virus, and is generally collected using a nasal swab. By contrast, the antibody test indicates that a person has had the disease and is detected through a blood sample.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Ressler said that any Pitkin County resident with COVID-19 symptoms \u2014 dry cough, fever, body aches, shortness of breath, fatigue are common \u2014 should contact their primary care physician. If the doctor agrees that the symptoms could be COVID-related, they will make an appointment at AVH\u2019s respiratory tent in the hospital parking lot where patients will be tested by medical personnel, he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Those without a primary care doctor can call AVH\u2019s primary care clinic, which will schedule an appointment at the respiratory tent if necessary, Ressler said. COVID-19 tests can only be done with a physician\u2019s order.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">People who can\u2019t afford the test should not worry, Ressler said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cWe will not let cost be a barrier,\u201d he said. \u201cWe want you to be tested.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">For others, the cost of the test is generally covered by insurance, he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The samples will be collected at AVH, Koenemann said, but analyzed at the state health department\u2019s lab in Denver or at a private lab. Capacity to analyze the COVID-19 tests in Colorado has increased \u2014 in the beginning weeks of the outbreak the state lab was overwhelmed \u2014 so that results arrive in about 72 hours, she said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The improved turnaround time makes the strategy feasible, Koenemann said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The box-it-in strategy will be necessary to keep in place until a COVID-19 vaccine comes online, she said. That isn\u2019t likely to happen for another 12 to 18 months, meaning Pitkin County\u2019s strategy is built for the long haul, Peacock said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">And while it will cost between $1 million and $1.5 million to implement, it is the safest and best way to open up Pitkin County and Aspen\u2019s social and economic life, he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cIt\u2019s an investment we need to figure out,\u201d Peacock said. \u201cIt\u2019s an investment we need to make.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">In a few weeks, unemployment in Pitkin County has gone from around 3% to just under 15%, or about 1,700 people. As of Thursday, the county had given out more than $1.3 million in emergency assistance funds benefiting about 2,000 residents.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Both numbers are expected to rise in the coming weeks, he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cThis is our path forward,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s a long road ahead, but the road is visible. We are committed to beating this virus.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Koenemann said COVID-19 will be present in our lives in the form of the box-it-in strategy, social distancing and related protocols including hand-washing, face masks and symptom screening for months, if not more than a year. Public health officials will gradually unwind restrictive public health orders, assess the corresponding uptick, or lack thereof, in COVID-19 cases and make adjustments if necessary, then continue the process until some semblance of our previous lives is reached, she said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cWe certainly can have people sit in a restaurant eventually,\u201d Koenemann said. \u201cPeople will be able to go to the gym eventually.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">But until a vaccine comes along, normal life is a thing of the past and the future.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cThis will become the background of how we function,\u201d Koenemann said. \u201cThis will be the new norm.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText Tagline\"><a href=\"mailto:jauslander@aspentimes.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">jauslander@aspentimes.com<\/a><i class=\"fas fa-external-link-alt\"><\/i><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/news\/testing-for-pitkin-county-residents-with-virus-symptoms-begins-friday\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">via:: Post Independent<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Aspen Assistant Police Chief Bill Linn on Thursday exits the command center at the Limelight Hotel in Aspen for the team managing the virus outbreak in Pitkin County. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times Testing for any Pitkin County resident with COVID-19 symptoms \u2014 even if they\u2019re mild \u2014 will begin Friday, as the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[160],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1319615","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-local-news"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-09-04 00:54:25","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"KSKE Ski Country","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1319615","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1319615"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1319615\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1319615"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1319615"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1319615"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}