Concord Coronavirus: Testing Site Closed Due To 'Lack Of Volume'

Tony Schinella
·4 min read

CONCORD, NH — The medical group that runs Concord Hospital is closing one of its satellite screening-testing sites for the new coronavirus due to "lack of volume." The hospital made the announcement Tuesday in its latest media update. The testing site was located at Epsom Family Medicine.

"The site will be reopened as needed," the hospital said. "The practice itself, Epsom Family Medicine, remains open."

During the past 48 hours, 20 people have been tested by the medical group's other sites. As of Tuesday, 723 people have been tested by the health system with 37 COVID-19 positive results, about 5 percent of the tests. Of the 37, four are currently at Concord Hospital. The system has ordered tests for another 815 patients.

Since limiting visits and moving to both TeleHealth and VideoHealth visits, the group has performed 6,243 remote telemedicine visits including 1,103 at Concord Hospital Rehabilitation Services.

Any community member who is experiencing a fever or non-critical respiratory symptoms, such as coughing or shortness of breath, can be screened in Parking Lot E between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. daily. About 107 people have been screened at the site, the announcement said.

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The hospital is still requesting donations of new N95 and hand sewn masks, hand sanitizer, non-latex gloves, half-face respirators, digital thermometers, and hard candies and mints.

"Concord Hospital continues to be grateful for the outpouring of support and the contributions, both in-kind and financial," the statement said.

One of those donations was meals to the emergency department staff Saturday donated by Deb and Brian Shea, owners of The Barley House.

"Even during this time, food brings people together," they said in a note to the hospital. "We have great respect for everyone working at Concord Hospital, and our gift of food reminds them that we are here for them. Making someone’s day better makes our day better — it’s as simple as that."

Another donation was by the Prescription Center — which donated hand sanitizer to the hospital.

"The Prescription Center understands the value of a strong community hospital," said Charlie Fanaras, the owner of the company. "We are grateful to Concord Hospital and their dedicated staff as they work tirelessly to support our community during this pandemic."

Patch takes community journalism seriously and we want to be as much service to our readers as possible at this very uncertain time. If you are a public health worker, medical provider, elected official, patient, or other coronavirus expert — or you simply have a news tip you'd like to share — please fill out this form. We'll keep names and personal information private.

The hospital's COVID-19 screening and education hotline is staffed daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 603-789-9123. It has fielded 214 calls since Monday.

Stop The Spread Of COVID-19!

COVID-19, not unlike the flu and other respiratory illnesses, is spread through respiratory droplets, usually through coughing and sneezing, and exposure to others who are sick or might be showing symptoms.

Health officials emphasize residents should follow these recommendations:

  • Avoid any domestic and international travel, especially on public transportation such as buses, trains, and airplanes.

  • Practice social distancing. Stay at least 6 feet from other people, including distancing while in waiting areas or lines.

  • Anybody who is told to self-quarantine and stay at home due to exposure to a person with confirmed or suspect COVID-19 needs to stay home and not go out into public places.

  • If you are 60 years or older or have chronic medical conditions, you need to stay home and not go out.

  • Avoid gatherings of 10 people or more.

  • Employers need to move to telework as much as possible.

  • There is increasing evidence that this virus can survive for hours or possibly even a few days on surfaces, so people should clean frequently touched surfaces, including door handles, grocery carts and grocery basket handles, etc.

Take the same precautions as you would if you were sick:

  • Stay home and avoid public places when sick (i.e., social distancing).

  • Cover mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing.

  • Wash hands frequently.

  • Disinfect frequently touched surfaces.

More information from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services about coronavirus can be found here on the department's website.

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This article originally appeared on the Concord Patch