East Alabama Health officials are urging patients not to visit any of the system's emergency departments for routine COVID-19 tests, an EAH spokesperson said in an email Thursday.
An influx in testing has resulted in record volumes at the organization’s emergency departments at East Alabama Medical Center, EAMC-Lanier and the new EAMC Freestanding Emergency Department in Auburn, EAH spokesperson John Atkinson said.
“There’s certainly a need for people who have COVID symptoms that are severe and may require hospitalization to come to the ED,” Atkinson said. “But we ask that people whose symptoms are mild to please seek testing at alternate locations so that patients in need of emergent care are seen without delay. When the Emergency Departments get clogged with non-emergent needs, it creates longer than necessary wait times for everyone.”
EAH’s three emergency departments combined to test 196 patients on Wednesday, 100 of which tested positive. Only nine of the patients tested required hospitalization, Atkinson said.
Those with mild symptoms who suspect they may have COVID-19 can get tested at a variety of locations in Lee County, including urgent care facilities and the Auburn University Medical Clinic.
American Family Care, Lagrange Urgent Care, Primary Medicine Associates, Well Springs Urgent Care and Auburn Urgent Care all accept walk-in COVID testing.
AUMC is testing 150-160 patients a day Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., appointment required. Patients should call 334-844-9825 to schedule an appointment with AUMC.
East Alabama Health offers drive-through testing for patients with an appointment who have symptoms of COVID-19. Patients should schedule an appointment by calling 334-528-4968 Monday-Friday from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. or on weekends from 8 a.m.-12 p.m.
On Thursday, 39 patients were hospitalized for COVID-19 at an EAH facility, and four of those patients were on ventilators.
Statewide, 42.3% of all COVID-19 tests have returned a positive result in the past seven days, the highest throughout the pandemic. Lee County’s positivity rate over the past seven days is 43.4%.
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Evan Mealins, senior in philosophy and economics, is the editor-in-chief of The Auburn Plainsman.
