BEAUMONT, Texas — Officials say there are no testing kits in Beaumont, but there's a plan. Doctors will take oral and nasal samples from patients before shipping them to a Houston testing site.
Kenneth Coleman is the assistant director of public health for the City of Beaumont.
"We just want to assure the community that we're doing everything we need to do behind the scenes to ensure that this community is safe," Coleman said.
He says there are certain criteria people have to meet before they can be tested for coronavirus.
"So the criteria is, of course, if you've traveled to an infected area. China, that has widespread COVID-19 then you come back and start exhibiting symptoms, then you might meet that criteria for testing," Coleman said.
The sample is sent to the testing site in Houston.
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"If that test comes out positive, then that's what we call a presumptive positive test," Coleman said.
At this point, the health department begins what they call a 'contact investigation.' They track down everyone the patient has been in contact with.
"So we're contacting all these people so we can kind of okay you need to self quarantine," Coleman said.
Hospitals across Southeast Texas are prepared to safely isolate patients who may be infected with the virus.
In a statement issued Thursday afternoon, CHRISTUS Southeast Texas said it will "isolate the patient in a private room and take proper respiratory precautions to safely assess and treat them."
The Medical Center of Southeast Texas also released a statement listing preparedness action steps including:
Daily strategy meetings to review the latest information and recommendations being issued by the CDC and DPH;
Implementation of coordination protocols in place to effectively communicate with public health officials;
Implementation of an Emergency Management staffing plan in case of an escalating outbreak;
Maintaining sufficient levels of Personal Protective Equipment (masks, gloves, gowns, eye protection, etc.) and hand hygiene supplies;
Rapid Triage Procedures in place to promptly identify and isolate suspected patients;
Creation of a surge capacity isolation area within the hospital; and,
Restricted visitor policies. which currently prohibit visitors under the age of 12.
At Baptist, patients with coronavirus symptoms are isolated in low pressure rooms.
A nurse at Baptist previously told 12News they "have a monitor that controls the ventilation in the room to prevent any of the virus from being spread to the rest of the hospital."
Doctors reiterate, good hygiene is still the best way to stop the spread of the virus.
Editor's note: The video below is from January 2020.
