PHILADELPHIA—Local hospitals have reported an increase in people seeking COVID-19 testing in their emergency departments. The Health Department wants to remind the public that emergency departments are for emergencies only. Seeking non-emergency COVID-19 testing in an emergency department diverts critical, life-saving resources from people who are truly experiencing an emergency.
“Our hospital teams are ready to provide emergency care for patients with illnesses and injuries of all kinds, but we need the public’s help in safeguarding our resources to provide the right care in the right settings,” said P.J. Brennan, MD, chief medical officer of the University of Pennsylvania Health System. “Anyone experiencing symptoms like shortness of breath or chest pain – which can be symptoms of COVID-19 and many other critical illnesses – should call 911 or seek care in an emergency department, but people in need of testing should seek other sites for care.”
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