Healthcare facilities have been overwhelmed by the demand for COVID-19 testing. An Akron woman who had a doctor’s order to be tested says it took three days before she and her husband finally were able to have samples taken.
Ilona Freeman works as a health professional and says her work could have exposed her to coronavirus. She and her husband are both over age 61. They got sick last week. Her Cleveland Clinic physician ordered tests for them both on Monday. The couple was turned away from the drive-thru testing site in University Circle on Monday and Tuesday. The Clinic changed procedures and gave them an appointed time to come Wednesday.
“This is really testing our systems, and they’re making adjustments as they go along," she said.
Freeman supports the decision to test senior citizens first but she’s concerned that there are a lot of frightened young people with symptoms who want to be tested but are being told they can’t be.
The Clinic advises patients under age 60 with a cough or fever higher than 100.4 to self-isolate. It’s currently testing high risk patients who are in the hospital or those age 61 and older. If someone is under 60 and has a doctor’s order, the Clinic is asking them to wait for a call before showing up at the testing site.
