Mecklenburg plans to test 50,000+ more residents for coronavirus over 30 days

Mecklenburg County will significantly ramp up coronavirus testing over the next 30 days with the goal of reaching at least 8% of the county’s population, Public Health Director Gibbie Harris said Thursday.

Already, more than 3% of Mecklenburg’s residents have been tested for COVID-19, Harris said. Based on the county’s population and and push to reach another 5% of residents, at least 50,000 additional people could get tested. The increased testing includes broadening criteria for who is eligible to be tested.

“Our strategy is focusing on testing that detects the presence of the virus. We are not moving into antibody testing at this time,” Harris told reporters. “With this increased testing, we expect to see much larger daily case counts.”

Mecklenburg’s announcement comes one day before North Carolina enters Phase 1 of Gov. Roy Cooper’s plan to gradually reopen some businesses, including allowing more shoppers in retail stores. The stay-at-home order remains in effect for at least another two weeks. And rules that closed gyms, restaurant dining rooms and other businesses remain in place.

Harris said the county’s new strategy, based on guidance from the state and local hospital systems, calls for 13,000 residents to be tested weekly over the next 30 days. That translates into roughly 1,850 tests per day, compared to the average 700 to 900 tests currently administered in Mecklenburg, Harris said.

Labs should return coronavirus test results within 72 hours — otherwise, delayed information would not be “terribly helpful” in identifying a potential outbreak, Harris said.

There were 1,932 confirmed coronavirus cases and 59 deaths among county residents as of Thursday afternoon, Harris said.

Tiered approach

Expanded testing follows a three-tiered approach to monitor possible COVID-19 outbreaks. Harris said the county’s goal is to see stable or decreased trends for critical coronavirus benchmarks, including the percentage of positive test results, hospitalizations and deaths.

The first tier, or priority group, has already been eligible for coronavirus testing. Harris said this segment includes individuals with moderate to severe coronavirus symptoms, as well as those who are ages 65 and older with underlying health conditions. The group also incorporates health care workers in nursing homes and long-term care facilities, first responders, and people who may have been exposed to the virus based on contact tracing investigations.

Harris said testing will encompass the second priority group within the next two weeks. That covers adults and children with mild COVID-19 symptoms, and those with a medium to high risk of exposure to the coronavirus.

The third priority group will have access to testing within two weeks of North Carolina entering Phase 2 of Cooper’s reopening plan, which could begin as early as May 22. Harris said individuals who “support critical infrastructure” could be eligible for testing, as well as those who are asymptomatic.

“The logistics of the plan are still being worked out,” Harris said.

But the health director says she’s relying on a combination of “high-volume,” and “low-volume” providers to make the strategy effective. Beyond Atrium Health and Novant Health, that also means enlisting testing capacity from community health clinics and private providers, Harris said.

The greater Charlotte area is not expected to reach its coronavirus “peak” until mid-July, when a possible surge in cases could overwhelm hospital resources, officials said. The later date, originally projected to be sometime between mid-April and mid-May, is a result of Mecklenburg residents successfully “flattening the curve” — effectively, spreading infections over a longer time period.

In the last 14 days, Harris said, hospitalizations have decreased in the region’s acute care facilities and fewer patients are requiring ventilators.

“There’s still significant capacity in the hospitals at this point,” Harris said. “I don’t think we’re going to be in a position where 100% of our beds are filled and it sneaks up on us.”

From 3 to 700+ daily tests

As the coronavirus outbreak began in North Carolina in March, the state Department of Health and Human Services put forth strict testing criteria, reflecting severely limited supplies of test kits and personal protective equipment for health care workers.

Initially, testing was only available to people who had a fever or lower respiratory symptoms — and who had traveled to a location of a known outbreak or come into close contact with someone already infected with COVID-19. Once those criteria were met, people needed to first test negative for the flu before becoming eligible for a coronavirus test.

In the last two months, the testing landscape has changed dramatically.

In a startling acknowledgment of scarce resources, Harris revealed on March 13 that Mecklenburg was receiving three test kits from the state. At the time, there were 15 confirmed cases statewide, with just one in Mecklenburg.

”We’re doing the best we can …,” Harris had told reporters. “We really do not have the information we need to say what the total extent of the issue is in Mecklenburg County right now.”

In late March, state health officials said people with only mild COVID-19 symptoms should stay home and skip testing in an effort to stop the virus’ spread and conserve limited supplies.

Limits on testing mean the numbers of COVID-19 cases reported by the county “only represent a fraction of the true burden of COVID-19 in our community,” the public health department has said.

Harris has repeatedly said Mecklenburg adheres to a “judicious” testing approach, emphasizing the county lacks the capacity to pursue widespread coronavirus screening.

But in recent weeks, Harris has also guaranteed that all residents who need to be tested — particularly, those with severe symptoms and most at risk for contracting COVID-19 — would be tested.

Both private labs, such as the North Carolina-based LabCorp, and hospital labs have ramped up testing capacity.

As testing expanded in mid-April, Atrium Health and Novant Health launched mobile testing sites to reach minority communities in Charlotte. Some elected officials have intensely criticized early decisions on testing site locations, saying some of the most vulnerable neighborhoods were initially neglected even as data showed black residents were disproportionately impacted by the virus.

Public health officials say increased testing is crucial to reopening businesses and loosening social distancing restrictions. The state aims to administer between 5,000 and 7,000 tests daily.

This is a developing story. Check back for more details.

This story was originally published May 7, 2020 at 2:30 PM.