Whatcom County is now recommending that anyone with Covid-19 symptoms contact their healthcare provider to ask about getting tested for the virus.
The symptoms list in an April 30 press release from Whatcom County include a fever above 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit, a cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle aches, headache, a sore throat and new loss of taste or smell.
Getting tested, however, requires a referral from a healthcare provider. The county press release said those without a healthcare provider should work with their insurance company to find one. Those without insurance should enroll online, and those that can't get health insurance should call the Whatcom County Health Department at 360/778-6100 between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, for assistance with testing.
Previously, the county health department recommended tests only for people with symptoms who also met certain other criteria, such as being a healthcare worker, an essential service worker or being over 60.
As of April 28, Whatcom County lagged behind the state in the percentage of population that had been tested. In Whatcom County, 1.2 percent of the population has been tested, according to a calculation made with county health department numbers and the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2019 population estimate. That’s half the statewide rate of 2.4 percent.
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