Update COVID 19 WPHL Lab Testing & Cancellation of PPE Orders by FEMA

Wyo PPE orders cancelled by FEMA - heckofajob jared.

CASPER, Wyo. — Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon criticized the federal government during a press conference on Friday, April 3. He said that states have been facing difficulties securing personal protective equipment orders amid the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak.

Gordon specifically noted that the Federal Emergency Management Agency have been cancelling PPE orders placed by states, including Wyoming.

“I’ll be very honest about this,” he said. “Every state at this point is finding that the federal government is stepping in and cancelling or orders for PPE. It is very frustrating, extremely frustrating when we have orders that are supposed to be on their way and we find that FEMA, the agency that is supposed to help us, has pre-empted that order.”

https://oilcity.news/community/health/covid-19/2020/04/03/gordon-critical-of-fema-for-cancelling-wyoming-ppe-orders-amid-covid-19-shortages/

Also, due to tight supplies of reagents, Wyo has had to revise testing - the state lab will test patients as below and direct tests for other patients not on the state lab list to private labs. Not good, Wyo expects peak infection early to mid May.

WPHL state lab testing priorities are as below. This change will severely slow down test results - the private labs are not yet returning results anywhere close to the rapid reporting time that is needed to help control spread. The state dept of health lab seemed to be doing OK but they are short on testing reagents.

State lab will process tests on:

Hospitalized patients (including hospitalized patients being tested prior to discharge to a long-term care facility);

Patients or staff in communal settings such as nursing homes, assisted living facilities, or shelters;

Healthcare workers and first responders who provide direct patient care;

People over 65 or with underlying health conditions that put them at risk for severe illness;

People who have close contact with people who are over 65 or who have underlying health conditions;

and pregnant women (see below).

A list of reference laboratories with approved SARS-CoV-2 testing can be found here:
https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/emergency-situations-medical-devices/emergencyuse-authorizations#covid19ivd.

WDH and state partners are working to expand private testing options in Wyoming as new options become available.

If providers cannot make arrangements to send tests to a reference laboratory, please email WDH at wdh.covid19@wyo.gov

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https://health.wyo.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Coronavirus_Disease_2019_HAN_9.1_4.2.20_1.pdf