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Scioto County Daily News
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  • Public Safety

    🚨 Michigan Avenue Family Crisis Highlights Ongoing Struggles to Protect Children 

    West Portsmouth Shooting

    Gunfire Panic at Trailer Park: Deputies Swarm Shots Fired Call 

    🏈 Locker Room Bullying Turns Violent — Mom Demands Justice  

    Police Officer Killed After Golf Cart Hit by Young Driver 

    Portsmouth

    Who Stole the Democrats’ Seat? Exclusive NEW Details on Portsmouth’s Missing Bench 

    Gun Scare at Mound Park: Call Leads Police on Evening Hunt 

    SCDN File Photo

    From Classroom to Courtroom? Portsmouth Parents Call Police Over School Clashes 

    DUI Driver Arrested After Wreck at Elementary School

    🚨 From Crash Site to Cell Block: Woman Busted for OVI in Portsmouth 

    Fired Trucker Takes Company Rig on Wild Ride Across State Lines  

    Dog on chain outside

    🐾 Price of a Pup Tag Set to Climb — Scioto County to Raise Dog License Fees Amid Worsening Shelter Crisis 

    Family & First Responders Save the Day in Wheelersburg Scare  

    Busted Arrests Portsmouth Scioto County Mugshots

    Busted! 08/28/25 New Arrests in Portsmouth, Ohio – Scioto County Mugshots

    Timmy’s Terror: Loose Pit Bull Sparks Dogfight, Death Threats, and Arrest 

    Police Activity

    Midnight Round-Up: Wanted Locals Learn the Hard Way

    Joseph Coby Portsmouth SWAT

    🚨 SWAT Roll-Out Over Missed Court Date: When Skipping Court Goes Too Far 

    Suspect arrested

    Suspect Busted at Mike’s Auto Sales: Drugs, Damage & a Rap Sheet a Mile Long 

    good cops

    Across Two States, First Responders Race to Protect Woman and Child Near Greenup Dam

    police car from the back seat

    Drunk, Armed & on a Lawn Mower: Lucasville Man Arrested After Wild Claim 

    Busted Arrests Portsmouth Scioto County Mugshots

    Busted! 08/27/25 New Arrests in Portsmouth, Ohio – Scioto County Mugshots

    💔 Heartbreak in Wheelersburg: First Responders Face Sensitive Task After Child Finds Deceased Woman 

  • Lawrence County
  • Politics
    Scioto County Commissioner Bryan Davis

    Bryan Davis Arraignment Set, New Judge Assigned 

    Bryan Davis

    Why Commissioner Davis Staying in Office Raises Big Problems 

    Scottie Powell

    Powell Calls on Commissioner Davis to Resign 

    Scioto County Bryan Davis Scandal

    🗓 Timeline of a Scandal: How Scioto County’s Economic Development Crisis Unfolded 

    Bryan Davis

    Commissioner Bryan Davis and Wife Indicted in Scioto Scandal 

    Joey Sandlin

    Joey Sandlin Announces Inauguration Ceremony  

    Erie Canal Lock 50

    After Nearly a Decade of Talk, Scioto County Moves Closer to Restoring Historic Lock 50 

    Portsmouth City Council 2023

    Portsmouth City Council Considers More Cash for Lawsuit Defense 

    West Virginia SNAP

    🚨No More Free Pop? West Virginia Bans Soda from SNAP—Should Ohio Be Next?🚨 

    We Don’t Do Roads!: Scioto Commissioners Clarify Who’s Really in Charge of Road Repairs 

    “I’m Not Here to Replace Cathy”: New Commissioner Merit Smith Says He’ll Lead with Life Experience 

    Merit Smith

    Merit Smith Chosen to Fill Late Commissioner Cathy Coleman’s Seat 

    Scottie Powell

    “Run on Vision, Not Attacks”: Powell Offers Advice to Candidates Vying for Cathy Coleman’s Seat 

    🌿 Bamboo Gets Fast-Tracked at City Hall — But the Homeless Crisis? Still Stuck in Neutral 

    Who Will Carry Cathy’s Torch? GOP to Choose Coleman’s Replacement July 29 

    Cathy Coleman

    Commissioners Back Senior Housing Project Championed by Late Commissioner Cathy Coleman 

    “Bad and Quirky” Lucasville House Targeted for Demolition as County Cracks Down on Blighted Properties 

    ‘A Great Addition to Heaven’: Commissioners Honor Cathy Coleman, Reflect on Her Legacy and Who Might Carry It Forward 

    Cathy Coleman

    Scioto County Mourns Commissioner Cathy Coleman 

    🚨TRIAL TWIST! Horton Corruption Case on Ice—For Now 

  • Feel Good
    A man sitting in a vehicle is handing over an ID card to a female police officer standing by his window.

    Tips for Staying Calm During Police Encounters

    Cyn Mackley

    Cyn Mackley Channels Haunted Appalachia

    A group of friends stand around a table, smiling, laughing, and drinking. There are plates of food on the table.

    Creative Ways To Host Outdoor Events This Summer

    A family of two parents and a young boy and girl are playing laser tag with vests and laser blasters in an arena.

    What Activities To Offer at a Family Fun Center

    Shawnee State University SSU

    Shawnee State University Joins New Athletic Conference, Adds Football to Lineup 

    BREAKING: Commissioners Make Shocking Decision—Halloween to Remain on Halloween 

    Escape to the Hills: A Summer Reading List Set in Appalachia 

    Scioto County Champs: Lady Trojans and Word Wizards Bring Home the Gold 

    “I Held Those Keys Tight” — One Man’s Harrowing Journey from Addiction to Hope 

    Three girls in quinceañera dresses stand beside one another. The one in middle has a gold dress while the other two wear pink.

    Tips for Selecting the Color of a Quinceañera Dress

    The Day the Streak Ended: Lakers’ 1987 Record Broken

    An angler standing at the edge of a lake just after sunset with three fishing rods resting on the ground next to him.

    Night Fishing: Who Is It for and How Do You Start?

    good cops

    Cops Rescue Lost Man 

    good cops

    Kid Misses Bus, Deputy to the Rescue 

    A group of people stands outside with their arms in the air. They hold their hands together, making a pyramid shape.

    Hidden Gems: Community Strategies for Mental Wellness

    good cops

    Man Says He’s Trapped in Armory 

    Good Samaritan 2

    Good Neighbor and Officer to the Rescue 

    Portsmouth Flood Wall Stars

    Meet the New Flood Wall Stars! 

    A bearded man is sitting on the floor and comforting his dog in a wheelchair. The dog has his ears pinned back.

    Training Tips To Help Your Dog Get Used to Their Wheelchair

    U.S. housing market

    Tips for Making Your New House Feel Like a Home

  • Obituaries
    Janet Forbes

    Janet Forbes, 88 of South Shore

    Robert David Dean

    Robert David Dean, 75 of Piketon

    John Kenneth Kellerman, Jr

    John Kenneth Kellerman, Jr., 67 of Portsmouth

    Blenda Sue Forester Fitch

    Blenda Sue Forester Fitch, 76 of Waverly

    Barbara Williams

    Charlotte Pollitt, 79, of Piketon

    Ms. Shannon Renee Wyatt

    Ms. Shannon Renee Wyatt, 46 of Charleston

    James Collins

    James Collins 82 0f Portsmouth

    Rick L. Newsome 57 of Wheelersburg

    Anthony Carl White

    Anthony Carl White, 67 of Stout

    Samantha Kay Carver-Lattimore

    Samantha Kay Carver-Lattimore 42 of Portsmouth,

     Mildred Jean Sullivan

     Mildred Jean Sullivan, 81 of Portsmouth

    William McGinnis

    Jonathon Robert Chanti, 69 of Gallipolis

    Harold Richard Smith, Jr. , 45, of Waverly

    Barbara Williams

    Betty Jane Bowman, 83 of Portsmouth

    Kay Kelly

     Kay Kelly, 73 of Portsmouth

      Jeffrey Paul Steele

      Jeffrey Paul Steele, 49 of Portsmouth

    Zackery Hatfield

    Zackery Hatfield, 42 of Lexington

    Anthony Wayne

    Anthony Wayne Payne, 48 of Portsmouth

    James M. Lewis

    James M. Lewis, of Stout

    Barbara Williams

    Laura Frances Benner, 89 of Lucasville

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Why You Can’t Get A Coronavirus Test

Cyn Mackley by Cyn Mackley
5 years ago
in Public Safety
No COVID-19 Test
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“Why can’t I get tested for COVID-19?” It’s a question I’ve heard over and over again from people. And why does it take so long for those test results to get back?

Private labs are taking up to 14 days to process results. Two weeks seems like a darn long time to wait to find out whether you’ve got a virus that has been called twice as contagious and ten times deadlier than the flu.  Last week, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Amy Acton ordered Ohio hospitals that can’t do onsite testing to send their samples to hospitals in Ohio that could or the health department. They said these hospitals had the capacity to do more tests and could have them back within hours not weeks. So problem solved? Not at all.

Testing Order Hasn’t Helped Here

At Tuesday’s Scioto County Commissioners’ Meeting, Commissioner Bryan Davis asked Belinda Leslie from the Portsmouth City Health Department if the new testing procedure was helping. She replied, “Not really for us. We can’t get into the sites.” She went on to say that private labs are speeding up delivery of the test results.

RELATED POSTS

🚨 Michigan Avenue Family Crisis Highlights Ongoing Struggles to Protect Children 

Gunfire Panic at Trailer Park: Deputies Swarm Shots Fired Call 

🚨 From Crash Site to Cell Block: Woman Busted for OVI in Portsmouth 

I was curious as to why local hospitals are unable to send tests to these labs when the state’s top health official orders hospitals to use them.  I contacted Ms. Leslie at the Portsmouth City Health Department. She told me to contact Dr. David Byers, head of Infectious Disease at SOMC.

Looking For Testing Answers

I called Dr. Byers office and spoke to his office administrator. She referred me to Community Relations at SOMC. I called and left a message. I also contacted the office of Dr. Amy Acton.

I asked why testing might not be available to hospitals in our area. Here’s what they had to say.

“If Ohio hospitals are no longer able to take samples from other hospitals and the hospital can show documentation that they did reach out, then they can still send to a private lab.”

You’ll notice it doesn’t explain why the hospitals can’t take samples. Especially since both the Governor and Dr. Acton said these facilities had capacity.

Some Answers

The next day I received a call from Bridget Scott, Administrative Director of the Laboratory at SOMC. She wasn’t able to speak as to why these hospitals with onsite labs can’t test samples from our area. But she was able to tell me some interesting things about our capabilities here.

SOMC has three testing platforms that could process samples same day. But there’s a hitch in using them that I’ll get back to in a moment.

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She gave me the names of the three facilities in Ohio that do onsite testing:

  • Cleveland Clinic
  • Metro Health Cleveland
  • University Hospital in Cleveland.
  • Ohio State University

I went looking for information on their web pages about testing. And found this interesting quote on the Cleveland Clinic’s Laboratory website:

Please be aware that COVID-19 testing is being sent-out to a partnered reference laboratory because of current volumes. Cleveland Clinic Laboratories plans to make in-house testing available for clients over the coming weeks, which will be determined by internal testing capacity.  This information will be communicated when available.

So, even though they have the capability to test, they’re sending tests elsewhere. What gives?

The Answer

The problem, according to Bridget Scott, “It’s not as easy as it’s sound.” Testing for COVID-19 requires specific testing supplies. “There are still limited testing supplies and they prioritizing to areas with high numbers.”

And while you wonder why they can’t just find more swabs and tubes, these items aren’t the problem.

The missing ingredient is what’s known as reagent. Reagents are substances used to process tests. The mixture into which your sample goes. There is a worldwide shortage of reagents needed to process COVID-19 tests.

It makes sense. Nobody knew two months ago that millions of test would be required. So even if you have the machines and the personnel to run thousands of tests, without reagent, you can’t do anything. And before you ask, most of the manufacturing is done overseas.

Dr. Amy Acton spoke about reagent at Wednesday’s COVID-19 update. Like Scott, she says it’s not as easy as it sound, “Reagents are a complex brew of chemicals.  Some are biological in nature. Some are chemical. They are not things that I can mix up in a lab.  This is going to be a long haul.”

Assume Everyone Has It

Without the necessary chemicals to complete tests, what should you do? Assume you have it. Assume everyone has it. Stay home.  If you begin to show severe symptoms like difficulty breathing, call your doctor or emergency room and let them know what’s going on.

 

Tags: CoronavirusCOVID-19HealthScioto County
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