Coronavirus testing in Mississippi: What you need to know

Questions about testing for novel coronavirus in Mississippi have increased as the state reported its sixth case by Friday.

Testing is conducted by the state health department after samples are collected from patients’ doctors.

At Forrest General Hospital in Hattiesburg, samples are taken using four swabs — one in each nostril and two in the throat.

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The specimens are sent to the Mississippi State Department of Health to be tested. 

"Testing is available," said Dr. Steve Farrell, chief medical officer with Forrest Health. "They assure us at the state level is that there are plenty of test kits available. They have not turned away anybody for testing at this point.

"They've actually liberalized testing. Now they will test if we have ruled out other reason for a respiratory illness and the symptoms match."

Other possible diseases with similar symptoms include flu, pneumonia and other diseases affecting the lungs. Previous testing requirements also included travel or exposure to or contact with people with known cases.

Testing for those diseases takes about 24 hours, Farrell said.

Patients are asked to self-quarantine at home until results determine whether they are positive for coronavirus.

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Testing involves identifying certain parts of the coronavirus' DNA before it can be confirmed. Once the state identifies the coronavirus, it sends the samples to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for confirmation.

MSDH can test 16 samples — eight in each machine — at a time in its two smaller extraction systems, which takes about an hour, said Daphne War, the state's public health lab director. The larger system can extract 96 samples at a time, also in about an hour.

Ware said the lab has about a 24-hour turnaround time for results.

"We can continually extract samples throughout the day," she said.

The lab then takes the extracted genetic material to perform testing, and is able to produce results within a few hours, Ware said.

In addition, private laboratories are able to test for the virus. Health department officials said Lab Corp and Quest are testing for coronavirus and must report their findings to MSDH so they can keep track.

CDC said other samples that may be collected for testing include blood, respiratory and stool.

Testing was developed quickly at the onset of the new coronavirus outbreak, but there is no FDA-approved test specifically for the virus.

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CDC reported 1,629 cases as of noon Friday with 41 deaths in 46 states and the District of Columbia. That includes three cases in Mississippi, all of which are in Forrest County. One, a 65-year-old woman, has been hospitalized.

There is no treatment for coronavirus, but most cases do not require hospitalization. Those 60 and older and other with compromised immune systems and respiratory illnesses may need supportive care that will include hospitalization, Farrell said.

Contact Lici Beveridge at 601-584-3104 or lbeveridge@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @licibev or Facebook at facebook.com/licibeveridge.