Health officials are reporting an increase of coronavirus cases in Washoe County, which could lead to a possible slowdown in the states reopening plan. Nevada reported more than 500 new cases of coronavirus on Wednesday. There were also ten more deaths reported, bringing the total to more than 1,550.
"The seven-day rolling average we have of new cases over the past week has increased significantly, it's currently running at almost 88 new cases per day," said Kevin Dick with the Washoe County Health District.
According to Dick, that's about a 50 percent increase day to day compared to last week. These numbers are being attributed mainly to large gatherings during the Labor Day holiday. The state is also seeing a large jump in cases from UNR students attending off campus parties, with a bump in positive results aged 20-29.
As far as a vaccine, there is some debate on the estimated four to six weeks timeline of states receiving it, as the FDA has yet to authorize one. Officials expect it to come in limited supply when released, and they will administer it to 'priority populations' first.
"We will be working on our own plans for providing the vaccinations, we'll also be working to engage our community providers, our health care system to be providing those vaccinations as supplies ramp up," said Kevin Dick.
Another big topic was that of testing. Currently the county does molecular tests, which are more expensive and take longer for results, but have an accuracy rate of around 95 percent.
The federal government, in a $760 million dollar contract with Abbott Laboratories, has deployed 150 million rapid antigen tests around the country, including here in Nevada.
Dick says that these tests are only about 70 percent accurate and false negatives can happen.
"We don't have any plan right now to be doing the rapid testing here at the health district, we will continue to do the molecular testing.”
Something that may add to the testing state labs are working on, is its usefulness during flu season.
"We are taking action here at the state lab to ensure that it can replace our existing test going into fall and winter so that ever SARS COV-2 molecular PCR test is in fact an influenza test simultaneously," said Dr. Mark Pandori, Director for the Nevada State Public Health Laboratory.
There has been some questions about the accuracy of testing, if labs mess up, or even if they are being performed properly.
"If a lab does not pass those proficiency tests, they are not allowed to offer SARS CO-V-2 testing.”
There are also safeguards in place to make sure the test is preformed properly for a result.
"If the swab didn't press hard enough on the throat or the nose for example, we would know that because we wouldn't detect the proper required amount of human material, and would be rejected immediately."
Dr. Pandori does warn that getting a test too early after getting exposed to the coronavirus may give a false negative.
"You actually may not have enough of that virus at that point in their nasopharynx or their throat to be detectable on that test."
