WILMINGTON — On its first day of operation, New Hanover County Public Health’s ‘coronavirus call center’ took over a hundred calls regarding Covid-19 and testing. That number is expected to increase, and the call center is preparing to send nurses into the community to help with testing efforts.
The call center was opened Tuesday morning to answer questions about the virus. Callers were able to describe their symptoms in detail — there are, for example, any number of variables beyond simply ‘having a cough’ — and determine whether testing was warranted. There are around six nurses on staff, including a mental health professional.
The staff will determine the necessity of testing based on the following criteria:
- Have fever or lower respiratory symptoms (cough, shortness of breath) and close contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case within the past 14 days
- Have fever and lower respiratory symptoms (cough, shortness of breath) and a negative flu test
The staff has been in touch with local healthcare providers, including urgent care facilities, in order to effectively direct callers to locations where they can get flu tests.
A negative flu test is a prerequisite to getting a Covid-19 test. While co-infection with influenza and the novel coronavirus is technically possible, county public health officials confirmed that, “per the World Health Organization, the available data suggests that viral co-infection is extremely unlikely. This has been true with studies of outbreaks of other viral diseases (this is different than having a bacterial super-infection of, for instance, a viral pneumonia). The state’s epidemiologist also shared that, with flu still circulating at a high-level, the criteria to include a negative flu test is still reasonable at this stage and appropriate given the testing capacity.”
According to county spokesperson Jessica Loeper, during the first day nurses took 178 calls, with less than 8 seconds wait time on average. While the county is exploring an email option, right now calling into the center is the only way to reach a nurse.
Callers will also have to arrange their own flu shot, although call center staff can assist with the process.
Importantly, the county asks residents who believe they may have Covid-19 symptoms (cough, fever, tiredness, or in severe cases difficulty breathing) to call ahead. Residents are asked not to go to New Hanover Regional Medical Center (NHRMC) for testing, and not to go to urgent care facilities for testing without calling ahead first.
Next steps
Next week, the call center will be able to send nurses and public health workers into the community to take samples for testing. According to Loeper, for those that are unable to travel for testing, or who are potentially contagious and don’t want to expose others, public health workers will be able to meet them at home or nearby community centers. Public health workers will be equipped with personal protective equipment (PPE) to safeguard them from infection.
According to Loeper, the county’s public health department has about 60 collection kits, and has the ability to reach out to NHRMC for more if necessary.
Call center details
- Phone Number: (910) 798-6800
- Hours of operation: Monday-Friday, 7:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has also established public health call line dedicated to CovidD-19 that is available 24 hours a day and seven days a week. Individuals can call to speak with a public health professional at any time at 1-866-462-3821.
Government information websites
New Hanover County encourages everyone to access the most up-to-date and verified information from the county, NCDHHS, and CDC. The following websites from these organizations are the best resources for information on the novel coronavirus:
- New Hanover County: https://www.Health.NHCgov.com/Coronavirus
- NC DHHS: https://www.ncdhhs.gov/coronavirus
- CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/
