JIC RELEASE NO. 111 - End of Day Results: Zero Test Positive for COVID-19 by DPHSS; DPHSS Statement on Abbott ID NOW

Breaking News Found at Governor Leon Guerrero’s Facebook Page:

https://www.facebook.com/govlouguam/

COVID-19 test results are reported from multiple labs at varying times of the day. The cumulative total from all labs will be reported on a nightly basis, unless unavailable. The following breakdown provides cumulative COVID-19 test results for Tuesday, May 5, 2020:

¹Beginning March 26, 2020

²Beginning March 31, 2020

³Beginning April 15, 2020

⁴Beginning April 23, 2020

⁵Beginning April 30, 2020

The Department of Public Health and Social Services (DPHSS) tested 70 individuals for COVID-19 on Tuesday, May 5, 2020 with conclusive results. Zero tested positive through DPHSS and 70 tested negative for SARS-CoV-2. The results include samples from clinics, hospitals, the quarantine facility, and an expanded testing site.  DPHSS has targeted areas where infection may occur due to lack of access to health care, and in densely populated apartment complexes. 

Everyone who has been swabbed for the COVID-19 test can expect to be notified of test results from either their provider if samples were taken in a clinic or hospital or by DPHSS health care staff if samples were taken during the DPHSS community expanded testing.

The DPHSS overall count also includes probable cases of COVID-19 and confirmed positive cases tested by the Naval Health Research Center (NHRC) in San Diego, the U.S. Naval Hospital (USNH) Guam, the Guam Memorial Hospital Authority (GMHA), Guam Regional Medical City (GRMC), the Guam National Guard (GUNG), and Diagnostic Laboratory Services (DLS).

To date, there have been 149 cases confirmed through COVID-19 testing provided with 5 deaths and 124 released from isolation. When a patient is released from isolation, he or she is no longer considered infectious. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) research and published guidelines, a patient is released from isolation after at least 72 hours have passed without a fever or additional respiratory issues and at least seven days have passed since symptoms first appeared. All remaining cases are in isolation. 

Some cases that were previously released from isolation have returned to active isolation status after re-testing positive for COVID-19 through follow-up testing. To date, no additional cases have been linked to people released from isolation. As this is an evolving situation, information is subject to change with little to no notice. 

DPHSS Statement on Abbott ID NOW
The Department of Public Health and Social Services Guam Public Health Laboratory (GPHL) performed a total of 55 tests using 1 ML viral transport medium. Of the 55 tests, several of the tests performed through Abbott ID NOW were retested through an approved U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) protocol to confirm negative test results. By doing this, it ensures that a negative test result is not a false negative.

DPHSS plans to redirect the Abbott point-of-care machine from GPHL to Northern Region Community Health Center (NRCHC). GPHL staff will be training NRCHC laboratory personnel to perform diagnostic testing of COVID-19 on patients by using direct swab procedures on the Abbott ID NOW. 

To date the total number of conclusive tests conducted at the Guam Public Health Laboratory is 2,203.

The GPHL is a bio-safety level 2 laboratory and it has maintained certification under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) for decades. Moreover, the GPHL holds a certificate from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) regulates all laboratory testing performed on humans in the U.S. through CLIA.  

For inquiries on COVID-19, contact 311 through a local number, or call the Joint Information Center at (671) 478-0208/09/10.