By Lisa Dawsey Smith Whitewater Banner Staff whitewaterbanner@gmail.com
Although it was reported that earlier in the day on Wed., 5/27 there was a long line for the COVID-19 testing at UW-W, persons arriving around 2:30 p.m. were in and out within 15 minutes. The testing site is in the parking lot immediately outside the entrance to Warhawk Stadium. Take Starin Road and turn north, just west of the Visitor Center, on Warhawk Drive, which will take you directly to the site.
Personnel from Fort Healthcare were assisting the National Guard with obtaining personal information. There’s no need to bring your own pen, as the personnel are doing the writing. It was indicated that the results may take up to seven days. (Banner comment: Hopefully it will be closer to the 2-3 days stated earlier, as a person with a positive result must be quarantining immediately. Not to mention, someone who is symptomatic must quarantine until results are received.) Email addresses were not being collected. It was indicated that two attempts will be made to phone the results, after which it will be the responsibility of the patient to call for the result.
The swab test was far gentler than a traditional influenza test; in fact, it really wasn’t painful. The swabbing device is relatively short and is placed inside the top of each nostril, but not around the bend. The personnel were polite and efficient. This writer felt terrible that they were in this heat but thankful that they serve.
By Lynn Binnie Whitewater Banner Staff whitewaterbanner@gmail.com
Long-term care facilities, in Wisconsin and nationally, have been hot spots for outbreaks of COVID-19. As of last Wednesday there were 164 residences in the state (which would include assisted living and skilled nursing) that had had confirmed cases among residents and/or staff. Gov. Tony Evers announced on May 4 that every resident and employee in all 373 Wisconsin nursing homes would receive a free coronavirus test as part of a plan to expand testing to everyone who needs one. According to the Department of Health Services, as of May 26 approximately 76% of these long-term care providers are testing or have tested their residents and staff.
Fairhaven Senior Services decided to take the plan a step further and conduct 407 tests, for all residents and staff members, whether in the apartments, assisted living, skilled nursing, Hearthstone or Prairie Village. It was a project that was a three day effort, with tests being submitted to a Madison lab on a daily basis. Any positive results were to be reported to the infection control nurse within approximately two days.
Paul Kuenning, President and CEO of Fairhaven, told the Jefferson County Daily Union, “It is our hope that all 420 tests come back negative, but we are bracing and prepared for the possibility that it might not be the case.” He concluded: “We feel it is best to continue to keep our residents, family and others informed as we continue to navigate through COVID-19. Knowing that all results will not be in until the weekend, we are continuing to keep all precautions in place for residents, staff and visitors as guided by the CDC and state/local health officials.”
Mr. Kuenning told the Banner that as of the afternoon of Tuesday, May 26, no positive results had been reported to Fairhaven. UPDATE 5/27: Mr. Kuenning reports that all of the tests came back negative. Currently visitors are still not permitted, though Kuenning stated, “We are reviewing the three phase guidelines for facilities’ reentry into the community. This takes into account resident population, community prevalence and access to medical services and hospitals.”
Meanwhile, a front-page article in The Gazette on May 26 is titled, “Fairhaven Residents in Whitewater Adjust to COVID-19’s ‘New Normal.'” Interviews are featured with several people living at Fairhaven. The life plan community has signs on the entrances to the property saying, “Heroes live here.”
By Lynn Binnie Whitewater Banner Staff whitewaterbanner@gmail.com
There are two types of COVID-19 testing. One type is designed to show whether a person has an active infection. That test will be available from this Wednesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on the UW-W Campus. The other test aims to determine whether a person has previously been infected by the coronavirus but has recovered and developed antibodies. Information on that test is provided in the press release below. Although it is hoped that a positive antibody result would demonstrate that the individual may have immunity from further COVID-19 infection for a certain period of time, this has not yet been proven. Consequently even a person who is found to have antibodies should not discontinue physical distancing, use of a mask, etc.
The Banner inquired of both Mercyhealth and SSM Health regarding the anticipated false positive/negative results that might be anticipated, as well as what the costs would be for the test if a person did not have insurance coverage for it.
Trish Reed, Media/Public Relations Specialist III for Mercyhealth, provided the following response from their medical director: “This antibody test gives us a better understanding of how many people in Rock County or specific community have been infected. There isn’t enough information currently available on whether testing positive means the person really has immunity or future immunity. We will not know until medical professionals understand the virus better which will come with time. Currently, the cost varies.”
Erica Mathis, Marketing & Communications Liasison at SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital Janesville responded, “SSM Health does not anticipate to see a high rate of positive results from the antibody tests, but knowing the amount of positive test results could have public health benefits. It can help our health agencies have a more complete picture of how the virus spread. It also helps to identify individuals who were infected but asymptomatic. Under the CARES Act, insurance is supposed to cover the cost of the antibody test. However, we recommend patients contact their insurance company to understand their individual insurance plan and if there would be any other associated costs to account for. Anyone is eligible to receive the antibody test if they are not and have not exhibited symptoms of an active COVID-19 infection, such as fever, chills, cough, difficulty breathing, muscle aches, sore throat or new loss of taste/smell within the past 14 days.”
Although the press release only refers to the test being available in Janesville, Roberta Wedl, MD, SSM Dean Medical Group, confirmed, “Yes, the covid antibody test can be obtained at any of the SSM Labs including Fort Atkinson. A provider needs to order the test and the patient needs to schedule a lab appointment (it is not a “walk in” test). Interested patients should contact their doctor or other primary care provider.” (Banner note: The Whitewater clinic is currently temporarily closed, with the providers practicing in the Fort clinic.)
Angie Rucker, Manager of the Mercyhealth Clinic in Whitewater confirmed that the antibody test is also available through that clinic. However, a staff member at the Fort Healthcare Internal Medicine and Pediatrics clinic in Whitewater indicated that their providers would refer their patients to a lab such as at Fort Memorial Hospital for the test.
This article from Fox6 provides some cautions issued by the American Medical Association regarding limitations to the test.
For reference, since the Banner was unable to obtain cost information for the local providers, healthlabs.com indicates that they do not bill insurance, but their price for the test is reported to be $139. Though they have no local lab, they indicate that they have some in the general area.
UPDATE: Per the following statement from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the reliability of the antibody test is particularly low when the prevalence of antibodies in a population is low, which is almost certainly the case in our population currently. CDC indicates that in that case, less than those testing positive may actually have antibodies. The following statement is taken from this CDC page.
“Testing strategies
In the current pandemic, maximizing specificity and thus positive predictive value in a serologic algorithm is preferred in most instances, since the overall prevalence of antibodies in most populations is likely low. For example, in a population where the prevalence is 5%, a test with 90% sensitivity and 95% specificity will yield a positive predictive value of 49%. In other words, less than half of those testing positive will truly have antibodies. Alternatively, the same test in a population with an antibody prevalence exceeding 52% will yield a positive predictive greater than 95%, meaning that less than one in 20 people testing positive will have a false positive test result.”
Attention restaurants and other businesses: as reopening progresses, The Banner will be featuring an update page.
The Banner does not normally include announcements regarding businesses. However, we have done so during the “Safer at Home” order, and we recognize the ongoing challenges as businesses continue to reopen. Consequently we are happy to announce that for the next several weeks we will include a continuously updated article for business updates. Owners/managers are welcome to submit information for our review and consideration for posting. We encourage mentioning any steps that you are taking in an effort to minimize the risks of COVID-19 transmission to your staff and customers. Among the items that restaurants may wish to include is if they are offering curbside pickup and/or delivery. The Banner may be reached at whitewaterbanner@gmail.com.
UW-W Online Summer Clinics: First Graders thru Adults may find something of interest
To ensure the safety of campers and the community during the COVID-19 pandemic, the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater has made the difficult decision to cancel all overnight summer camps. But don’t despair: #WarhawkCamps will go on! We are hosting a series of online events to keep your campers active. Subjects range from vocal and instrumental music to game and website development, sign language, gardening, and much more. Check them out here: http://www.uww.edu/ce/camps/2020-summer-clinics. In the meantime, stay safe and please direct your questions to CESevents@uww.edu.
The following students are among the winners of the 2020 Communication Department Excellence Awards from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater:
Whitewater, WI: Kira Elmer, who is studying Communication, Best Student in Major – Public Relations
Whitewater, WI: Elijia Knight, who is studying Media Arts and Game Development, Best Student in Major – Media Arts and Game Development
For more than 150 years, UW-Whitewater has provided students with the education and training to begin their careers with a solid foundation behind them. The UW-Whitewater is committed to the development of the individual, the growth of personal and professional integrity and respect for diversity and global perspectives. These are met by providing academic and co-curricular programs that emphasize the pursuit of knowledge and understanding and a commitment to service within a safe and secure environment.
We honor and remember the following Whitewater area veterans who passed away since last Memorial Day. “It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.” — General George S. Patton
Curt A. Anderson
Arleigh D. Aschebrooke
Michael L. Bacon
Rodney D. Berg
Robert K. Brown
Robert N. Burrows
Eugene J. Frodl
Vernon C. Greenquist
Roger Helming
David Koch
Kyle J. Koebler
Richard W. Landsee
David A. McComb
Harold Miles
Ralph G. Mundinger
Bryan Nelson
Richard V. Regelein
Edward A. Ritter
Neil F. Rolli
Robert L. Rowley
Einer E. Scheuerman
Kieth R. Seward
Victor F. Shober
Robert Shuman
Arthur Speerbrecher
Gary K. Stone
Charles F. Timm
Robert H. Wright
Gerald Wynn
Aurelio “Paul” Yvarra Jr.
Paul Zimmerman
Eric Paul Zipp
Thanks to Bill Miles, World War II and Korean War veteran and longtime William Graham Post 173 American Legion member for helping us compile this list. We apologize if we have omitted the name of any veteran. It is not intentional. We only know what we see reported in the media and other sources. Steven R. Smith, Adjutant, William Graham Post 173 of the American Legion
Memorial Day Observance created by Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs
Jen Stevenson, Senior Marketing Specialist for the Wisconsin Veterans Museum, provided the Banner with the link for the official State of Wisconsin Memorial Day Observance, which is hosted on the Wisconsin Veterans Museum website. A virtual ceremony is planned for 9 a.m. on Monday, and at 3 p.m. everyone is invited outside to play Taps at the National Moment of Remembrance. A recording of Taps is provided on the website. There are also several ideas for family observances on the site.
Fortunately, many of us in Whitewater still don’t personally know anyone who has passed away from COVID-19; in fact, we may not even know anyone who has had a confirmed case.
The New York Times indicates that “As the death toll from Covid-19 in the United States approaches 100,000, a number expected to be reached in the coming days, editors at The Times have been planning how to mark the grim milestone….Simone Landon, assistant editor of the Graphics desk, wanted to represent the number in a way that conveyed both the vastness and the variety of lives lost…The New York Times gathered names of the dead and memories of their lives from obituaries across the country.” Names and memories of hundreds of those people covered the entire front page of the newspaper on Sunday, May 24, and were continued inside the paper. Still, only about 1% of the victims were named. The online version, which may be viewed by clicking here, includes a figure to represent each of the persons who has lost their life. As a reader scolls through the list, on the right side of the page, dates of the deaths are shown, together with the mounting toll.
A copy of the front page itself, together with the story of how the remembrances were compiled, may be seen here.
The comments that have been made on the article certainly indicate that the gesture was much appreciated, especially by those who have lost loved ones. Here are a couple that The Times selected to especially feature.
Sherry Hornell, NY
“I literally stared for unknown minutes seeing the NY Times front page online, attempting to process what I was seeing. Trying to understand how I “fit” into this moment. Yet, for the first time since I lost my mom to the virus in March, I finally felt I wasn’t alone. How strange to find belonging in such a place. I quickly scanned the names to see if my mom might be there. I soon realized, I didn’t have the additional pages, and like some others, Covid was not noted in her obituary by the funeral director, in an attempt to mitigate any issues with a public pronouncement. (Arrangements across state lines was reminder enough.) So as of this moment I don’t know if my mom is listed here. Regardless, I am heartened by this remembrance. I read an on-line magazine piece regarding the struggle related to Covid grieving, so many layers to be grieved. That is me. No generations of family to share grief, or the memories and stories that initiate healing and immortalize my mom in a loving family circle. I feel the loneliness of three generations of only children. My mom probably is not listed here but for a brief moment I didn’t feel so alone. Even as I cried, not only in my own loss, but for these wonderful real people on this list and their families. It’s not quite what any of us would have anticipated in the death of a loved one. Thank you NY TIMES for trying to capture the indescribable. All the love. And a place to belong when few can understand your unique kind of grief.”
abigail49, Georgia
“Thank you, thank you for this memorial. We have heard and read the numbers. day in and day out and those of us who do not know a victim of the virus can slip into a very self-centered state of mind. In that state of mind, we can focus on our differences — political, cultural, racial, and class — and not our commonality and our interdependence. It is fitting that this memorial to the victims of a pandemic is presented on a weekend when we remember our fallen soldiers. Our military includes all Americans from every walk of life. Each of their lives is equally valuable. Each of their contributions to the defense of our nation is equally valuable. Each of them sacrificed much, even their lives, to serve us all. I hope that reading these names and learning a little about their lives will unite us as a country in common cause to defeat it and we will willingly sacrifice something in that cause.”
Eid Mubarak to the Banner’s readers of the Muslim faith.
Eid al-Fitr in 2020 is on Sunday, the 24th of May (24/5/2020).
Note that in the Muslim calendar, a holiday begins on the sunset of the previous day, so observing Muslims will celebrate Eid al-Fitr on the sunset of Saturday, the 23rd of May.
