Testing sites pop up for more COVID-19 detection

Additional community testing events have been announced for northwest Wisconsin. The State Emergency Operations Center, Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS), Wisconsin Emergency Management and Wisconsin National Guard, are working with local health departments to create community testing events in places with a known lack of access to testing, or where additional testing is needed, because of high rates of COVID-19.

“Taking our lab capacity from the ability to perform zero COVID-19 tests in early March, to more than 11,000 tests per day now, is one of our success stories here in Wisconsin,” said Gov. Tony Evers. “But capacity is not the same as utilization, so we have some work to do to ensure everyone who needs a test is getting one and to understand the full scope of this disease around Wisconsin.

The National Guard will work to assist with testing in the following communities: Chippewa, Clark and Taylor counties, Wednesday, May 13, drive-through testing, Thorp High School, from 11a.m. to 7 p.m. (Any Wisconsin resident experiencing COVID-19 symptoms is welcome at this site.) Chippewa and Rusk counties, Thursday, May 14, drivethrough testing, Rusk County Fairgrounds Rd., Ladysmith, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. (Any Wisconsin resident experiencing COVID-19 symptoms is welcome at this site.) Wisconsin is increasing access to testing, and anyone with symptoms should contact their healthcare provider and ask to be tested. If living in, or around, these communities with symptoms of COVID-19, get tested at the community testing events.

Symptoms of COVD-19 include:

• Fever, defined as a measured temperature greater than 100.4º F.

• Subjective fever, for example if a person feels unusually warm to the touch, or reports sensations similar to previous experiences of fever.

• Cough

• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

• Sore throat

• Headache

• Chills or rigors (repetitive shaking chills)

• Muscle aches (myalgia)

• New loss of taste or smell Wisconsin’s goal, and the key to turning the dial through the Badger Bounce Back Plan, is being able to test everyone who has symptoms of COVID-19, conduct contact tracing and get those who have been exposed to the virus in quarantine, to thwart the spread.