NCH awaits patient’s coronavirus test results after other tests negative

Reporter: Gina Tomlinson Writer: Jack Lowenstein
Published: Updated:
Credit: WINK News.

NCH Healthcare System in Collier County confirms one patient tested negative for coronavirus (COVID-19), and NCH also confirms another patient is awaiting test results back for the virus Tuesday.

It’s welcome news for residents of Collier County and all in the Southwest Florida region, but people we spoke to in Collier County remain alert.

“It’s a concern, a little bit,” Phil Feldberg said.

People are concerned they will possibly be a new patient needing confirmation testing for COVID-19.

“Encourage my kids to wash their hands often,” Milema Contreras said.

And agencies such as the CDC, Florida Department of Health and our state government have emphasized the vulnerability older community members with underlying medical conditions have to coronavirus.

“You have more elderly people where I am,” Feldberg said. “So they’re a little more concerned about it because they have medical issues to begin with.”

Feldberg says he considers himself pretty healthy at 77 years old. And, visiting his relative at NCH in downtown Naples, he feels safe.

”I think it’s very, very good that you have to go through a screening process at the hospital,” Feldberg said.

”It’s important to know that we put the restrictions in place to protect the community,” said Johnathan Kling, the chief nursing officer at NCH.

Kling says those measures are even more critical after two patients came through NCH with symptoms.

”You use caution; you use the literature to support your best practices with how you protect your staff and your patients,” Kling said. “There was great teamwork.”

Meanwhile, doctors at NCH advise anyone feeling ill to stay inside.

“The elder population is at greater risk, so doing the safety measures, the hand hygiene, social distancing,” said Dr. Georgina Kruedelbach, the NCH infection protection director.

Doctors say some patients who’ve tested positive for coronavirus have fully recovered but every case is different.

“The patients range from a spectrum of a very mild cold to a severe respiratory symptoms,” Kling said.

NCH wants everyone to stay safe.

”I wash my hands a little bit more often than I would normally do, and I go about living,” Feldberg said.

NCH says it expects results back from Florida Department of Health by the end of the day for the patient tested for COVID-19.

Trust us to update you when those results are confirmed by FDOH. 

“It’s something that we have to learn how to deal with and be positive and just wait,” Contreras said.


IF YOU FEEL SICK:

The Florida Department of Health has opened a 24-hour COVID-19 Call Center at 1-866-779-6121. Questions may also be emailed to covid-19@flhealth.gov. Email responses will be sent during call center hours.
http://www.floridahealth.gov/diseases-and-conditions/COVID-19/

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