COVID-19 numbers continue upward trend in Maryland, Frederick reports highest increase

Apr. 3--Although hospitals like Frederick Health Hospital are able to conduct testing, they are often not able to run the samples in their own laboratories due to chemical supply limitations.

It is a source of frustration for the hospitals, Maryland Deputy Secretary of Public Health Services Fran Phillips said during a Friday press conference. She recently spoke with Tom Kleinhanzl, CEO and president of Frederick Health Hospital, who raised concerns about the inability of the hospital to do test samples.

Instead, the hospital sends the samples to Quest Diagnostics, which resulted in longer wait times, between 10-12 days, for results, Kleinhanzl said. He recently spoke to Quest leadership, which started to report test results in between four to five days.

It is not a problem unique to Frederick Health Hospital, Kleinhanzl said. Across the country, hospitals have said they wanted to run tests in their laboratories. The federal government decided to have Quest Diagnostics and LabCorp run the tests on samples, he said, in addition to public health laboratories.

But the two companies became overwhelmed leading to backlogs and extended wait times for results, he said, including for samples sent by Frederick Health.

"We were sending them more tests than we were getting results back on any given day so that so the unrecorded list of test results was growing over about a 10, 12, 14 day period when we started doing a lot of testing," Kleinhanzl said.

There is a machine that could run the samples, owned by Trivergent Health Alliance, which is run in partnership between Meritus Health and Frederick Health. But they do not have the chemicals needed to run the lab, as there is a controlled and limited supply, he said.

"I wish we could do it faster but you don't control but you don't control," Kleinhanzl said. "We have no ability to perform the test."

Kleinhanzl is looking at options to hopefully address the challenges in testing, he said.

Frederick Health has tested more than 950 people, said spokeswoman Kelsey Shupe.

As of 10 a.m. Friday, health care professionals across the state had tested at least 23,690 people, although pending tests are not reported publicly by the Maryland Department of Health.

The Maryland Department of Health reported 2,758 confirmed cases of the disease, an increase of 427, as of 10 a.m. Friday. However, these numbers do not include nine Frederick County cases announced Thursday at 6 p.m.

Frederick County saw the largest increase in cases yet, with 30 new confirmed cases in the county, bringing the total to 93. The new cases include two people 19 and younger.

Of the 93 cases, 20 have recovered, however, only two people were considered recovered since April 1.

None of the new cases are from the Frederick Health and Rehabilitation Center, said Rissah Watkins, director of Planning, Assessment and Communications with the Frederick County Health Department.

There have been at least 42 deaths in the state, with Montgomery and Prince George's counties each reported nine deaths. The two counties have the largest number of cases, with 566 in Montgomery County and 563 in Prince George's County.

Of the 2,758 people, 159 people were released from isolation, including some who were hospitalized. Another 664 people were ever hospitalized, with 416 people currently hospitalized, Gov. Larry Hogan said during his press conference. More than a quarter of those hospitalized are under 50.

About 43 percent of people currently hospitalized required Intensive Care Unit level care, Hogan said.

"This virus is everywhere, and it is a threat to nearly everyone," Hogan said during the press conference.

There are 60 cases or clusters of cases in long term care facilities, across the state, Hogan said. There are six cases in the Frederick Health and Rehabilitation Center, with one of those cases resulting in death.

An outbreak in the Pleasant View Nursing Home in Carroll County is currently the largest with 99 cases between staff and residents, Hogan said. Of the 99 confirmed cases, 42 patients were hospitalized.

What the nursing home outbreaks have shown the health department is that the virus is getting inside despite measures, such as banning visitors, screening staff and individuals who come in and using other control features, people are still getting sick, Phillips said.

"But what we are seeing here in Maryland and across the country is clear evidence that people can be infectious, they can transmit the virus, even before they develop symptoms," Phillips said during the press conference.

Going forward, all staff at nursing homes and assisted living facilities who have contact with residents must wear a mask throughout the day, Phillips said. Speaking to nursing homes, she said that residents must be protected and staff must be given the proper personal protective equipment and training.

Nursing homes should send their samples to the Maryland public health laboratory for urgent testing. The state laboratory can turn around test results faster than the private companies, Phillips said.

Nursing home operators need to also work with staff to make sure that residents who may have need hospitalizations can come back to their homes safely.

Masks can protect people by preventing the spread of the virus, Phillips said. Masks block the transmission of the disease by stopping respiratory droplets, which can come from coughing or talking, from being spread. They are not as effective in preventing a person from getting a disease.

In addition to nursing home staff, Phillips emphasized the importance of health care professionals having the heavy duty masks.

For others, there are cloth masks, and President Donald Trump announced Friday that wearing masks in public is suggested although voluntary.

These masks are better than no masks when it comes to preventing the spread of the disease, Phillips said.

"Wearing a mask is not a bad idea," Phillips said during the press conference. "Wearing a mask can be protective."

Hogan encouraged all Marylanders to continue to practice social distancing guidelines and adhering to the stay-at-home order. Hogan said he is hopeful that Maryland will come through the pandemic stronger than before.

"The sacrifices that we are all being asked to make are incredibly difficult," Hogan said during the press conference. "I wish that I could tell you when we're going to turn the corner, when you'll be able to go back to work, to school or to church or when any of us will be able to get back to living a normal life again. Unfortunately, I am not able to do that. We simply don't know just how bad things are going to get or exactly how long this is going to last."

Follow Heather Mongilio on Twitter: @HMongilio

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