As community testing for COVID-19 booms and new cases slow down in Hamilton County, officials are warning citizens to tread lightly, as treatment and vaccination remain uncertain.
According to Hamilton County Health Department Administrator Becky Barnes, the tests will be done at the Riverfront Parkway emissions testing center and will allow for up to 360 patients to be tested on both Saturday and Sunday, thanks to testing resources provided by the National Guard.
That comes on top of the county's existing testing on weekdays at an emissions site on Bonnyshire Drive, also by appointment.
Even with the increased testing, Barnes warns that Hamilton County residents need to be cautious of the virus, because it is far from over.
"Certainly more testing is good for us. We are definitely interested in finding more cases if they are out there," Barnes told the Times Free Press Monday. "The thing about the test is, it is a point in time test, so someone can test negative but if their behavior changes or their exposure changes, that could change tomorrow.
"Really, until we have a vaccine, the virus is going to continue to circulate."
While Hamilton County Epidemiologist Dan Walker says the increased numbers of tests will benefit the department's understanding of the virus, he said it is too soon to estimate how.
"Expanding that testing means we are expanding our epidemiological response and tracing the virus," he told the Times Free Press. "I think we'll be able to answer to what extent better after we have the results back and see what they tell us."
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While the county's testing numbers have boomed in recent weeks because of a new local testing lab, the last two weeks have shown relatively small increases in confirmed cases, down to an average of 2.1 added cases per day from 5.8 per day earlier in the month, instilling some confidence in Barnes.
"We think this means people are taking the recommendations seriously," Barnes said. "But that has to continue in order to work."
According to Barnes, related hospitalizations in the county have also decreased, down to 10.7 per day from 15.4.
Still, Barnes and Health Department Communications Chief Tammy Burke said the public should tread lightly, as the virus is not always detected during a swab.
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"We want people to be tested, clearly, but we don't want anybody to get a false sense of security," Burke said Monday. "Someone who tests negative needs to continue their social distancing like someone who hasn't been tested at all."
Anyone wanting a test within Hamilton County should call the health department at 423-209-8393 to set an appointment. No physician referral is necessary.
All local community tests will be processed in the county lab and will be returned within 48 hours.