Coronavirus testing on LI has nearly doubled since mid-May
Diagnostic testing for coronavirus on Long Island has nearly doubled since mid-May at the same time both infection rates and the numbers of deaths have dropped dramatically, state health records show.
Statistics from earlier this week show a region preparing to enter a second, more expansive reopening.
Long Island surpassed 11,000 tests in one day on June 5 for the first time, with 11,038 tests. For the week ending June 7, an average of 9,536 tests were conducted each day, almost double the 4,844 daily average for the week ending May 17. At that time, 7% of those tested were infected with the virus. For the week ending June 7, just 2% were infected.
Officials at hospitals and walk-in clinics say diagnostic results for the virus have increased because of greater availability of testing equipment, more confidence in them by the public and insistence by doctors for COVID-19 testing now as part of regularly scheduled surgery and other treatment.
"There is a lot more testing available now," says Dr. Mark Jarrett, deputy chief medical officer and chief quality officer at Northwell Health, New York's largest hospital system, which includes North Shore University in Manhasset and Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New Hyde Park. About three weeks ago, Jarrett said, doctors started accepting urgent surgical cases and chemotherapy treatments that were delayed during the height of the COVID-19 crisis.
"Much of the testing now is with patients who don't have symptoms," Jarrett said. "They come in now for surgery and we want to make sure they're not infected a day or two before the surgery. That's why we're beginning to see a drop in the numbers that are positive, because the people who we are testing are much less likely to be positive."
At his three AFC Urgent Care walk-in clinics on Long Island, Louis Dionisio says many people still are seeking diagnostic tests but that the rate of those testing positive has declined rapidly. Back in April, he said about 70% tested positive, while now it’s about 5% positive and seems to be headed lower.
“Based on our statistics, this thing [spread of the virus] is nearly behind us — thank God,” said Dionisio, who is managing director and a co-owner of the clinics in East Meadow, Farmingdale and West Islip. Given the public alarm surrounding the pandemic, he said many still seek diagnostic tests if they show any signs of illness, regardless of whether it turns out to be COVID-19.
“I think the main motivation for coming in is fear,” Dionisio said.
At Stony Brook University Hospital, a wide array of testing is going on, from doctors treating patients inside its doors, to a drive-thru testing facility on the hospital’s property, says Sean Clouston, an associate professor in its public health program. He says the testing has vastly improved from the outset of the pandemic when there was a shortage of kits and equipment needed to track the disease.
“Early on, there was no testing and then there was the drive-thrus where you had to make an appointment,” Clouston recalled. “Now the hospital is testing at a much higher rate than it used to. But also you can get testing at urgent care clinics. There’s been an enormous increase in the amount of tests.”
While another separate antibody test can tell if a person has been previously exposed to the virus, it is the diagnostic testing that can reveal if a person is currently infected — information that also helps government officials keep track of the disease and any current outbreaks. Overall, health experts say Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s March 22 stay-home order and the public’s adoption of such social distancing measures as mask-wearing have helped to dramatically lower the recent impact of COVID-19 on Long Island.
The number of new infections identified in one week on Long Island declined from 2,201 for the week ending May 17 to 1,140 for the week ending June 7. At the peak on April 7, 3,265 cases were identified in one day on Long Island, nearly 36 times the number of infections identified on June 7, when 91 new infections were found.
Deaths have also declined substantially over the same period. The number of coronavirus deaths of Long Islanders declined from a daily average of 28 for the week ending May 17 to just seven per day for the week ending June 7, a drop of 75%.
Northwell officials say their ramped-up diagnostic testing is now part of the everyday life of patients.
"As we're doing urgent surgeries, chemotherapies, etc., we're starting to test patients proactively, before these procedures or before they come in for chemo,” Jarrett said.
“We've taken the stand to test every patient coming into the hospitals because of the fact that even though we now fortunately have more non-COVIDS than COVIDS being admitted, we just want to make sure that the non-COVIDS are not infected, even if they don't have symptoms."
Thomas Maier is a member of the Newsday editorial board.
