With vaccine buzz, fewer people are getting COVID-19 tests in Charlotte
Hospitalizations and positive COVID-19 cases are slightly down in Mecklenburg County — but so is testing.
County Health Director Gibbie Harris said at a press conference Wednesday afternoon that she’s not sure why the demand for testing has decreased, but emphasized that residents can get tested for free at sites throughout the county.
“Testing is widely available in our community,” she said.
Based on the most recent data from Mecklenburg Public Health, an average of about 4,600 COVID-19 tests are administered daily in the county — that’s far lower than the testing volume seen in early January and the historically-high demand for tests before and after Thanksgiving and Christmas.
One possible reason for the drop in demand: Harris said more residents are concerned about getting vaccinated against the coronavirus rather than tested. She encouraged residents who have been in any group settings or in contact with individuals who have tested positive to get tested and self-quarantine until results confirm they’re not infected.
Robust testing for the virus is important to gaining control on infections and breaking the chain of transmission. More testing, generally, will provide a clearer look at how widespread a virus is in a community.
As demand for testing has dropped, so too has the county’s average positivity rate. Based on a Charlotte Observer analysis of public health data, Mecklenburg is in its third week of falling trends for the number of new cases and the percent of positive tests, which landed below 11% at the end of January.
But with fewer tests, the limited data likely masks how many people are infected with COVID-19 but have no symptoms.
Asymptomatic people can still easily spread the virus to others and county officials have urged even people with no symptoms to be tested.
“We know that there’s still quite a few people who are being infected in our community who are asymptomatic and not seeking testing,” she said. “We know that there are a number of people who aren’t responsive (to contact tracing calls) and don’t know that they’ve necessarily been exposed, and aren’t taking testing.”
Harris expressed concern that some are turning to “pop-up” test sites that charge. She said many of those sites may be connected to a clinic, and there are no legitimacy concerns, but testing is readily available for free.
“One of the concerns that we have is that whether a person on the street can walk up to one of those sites and really tell whether they’re actually going to be able to get an appropriate test and whether they’re actually going to be able to get test results,” she said.
Where to get tested in Charlotte
To view locations on a map, visit Mecklenburg County Public Health Department’s COVID-19 Testing Site Locator online.
Atrium Health
Atrium tests at several locations throughout the county, in addition to their mobile screening unit. To view testing eligibility and locations, make an appointment and read when to expect results, visit Atrium’s website.
Online, Atrium posts the weekly schedule of its “testing bus,” which moves around the county and provides testing with no out-of-pocket costs.
StarMed
Star Med is conducting tests at several Charlotte-area locations — with or without symptoms. While drop-in tests are allowed, it is preferred that patients register ahead of time by texting COVID to 704-850-6996. More information is available here.
Novant Health
Novant screens patients at its Central Piedmont Community College site at 3216 CPCC Harris Campus Drive. Drive-up tests and online appointments are available.
Tryon Medical Partners
Tryon Medical Partners is testing residents with symptoms at two Charlotte-area satellite locations. Patients should call ahead to be deemed eligible or attend a virtual urgent care appointment. More information is available here.
CVS
CVS locations in Charlotte offer drive-thru testing. To find appointments, use their online tool.
Walgreens
Walgreens has an online testing site locator and eligibility screening assessment on its website.
