OptumCare at the HCC will offer limited COVID-19 testing
ONSITE COVID-19 TESTING
The Health Care Center will begin offering COVID-19 testing to individuals who meet specific criteria. Dr. Al Pita, a medical director for Optum, asked Leisure World residents to be conscientious of the needs of the entire community due to the limited supply of tests. There are many residents who may not be able to access central Orange County testing sites, so the HCC seeks to offer appropriate testing within the community despite the current challenges in terms of test supplies and long delays in obtaining results.
“This is not open to everyone and we cannot test anyone that simply shows up without an appointment. We have a very limited number of tests, so we need to use them wisely,” Dr. Pita said. “You don’t need to be a patient here at the HCC. But you need to have an order from your primary care doctor and meet our screening criteria.
Dr. Pita acknowledged the concerns many residents have about COVID-19, but urged everyone to exercise caution ahead of testing. “We don’t have many tests, so we need to use them sparingly,” Dr. Pita said. “We wish we could do more right now, but it was difficult to get a small supply.” Testing is not widely available in general, and many labs are reporting long delays in processing results.
The most important thing for everyone to do is keep follow- - ing public health guidelines. “Wear a face mask if you are out in public. Wash your hands frequently. Keep distance between yourself and others. It should be part of our new normal now,” Dr. Pita said. “If you think you have been exposed to the virus, but you don’t have any symptoms, stay home for at least 14 days and call your primary care provider if you have any questions.”
Testing also isn’t a clean bill of health. “All the test does is tell you if you do or do not have the virus at that particular time,” Dr. Pita said. “A negative test result doesn’t mean you are safe. You can still get the virus at any time. That’s one of the reasons we strongly encourage everyone to take precautions and only get tested if they have symptoms.”
If you believe you have been exposed to Covid-19, call your primary care doctor immediately. “Please don’t show up to your doctor’s office and ask for a test,” Dr. Pita said. “If you do have the virus, you could risk spreading it to others by entering your doctor’s office.” Dr. Pita said the HCC is trying to get more tests: “We are trying to get more so we can meet the community’s needs, but at this point, we only have so many tests. And once we’re out, we’re out.”
