UPMC To Test All Patients

April 22, 2020 4:12 am

PITTSBURGH — UPMC officials say they will begin testing all patients who enter for elective procedures and will test all employees who are showing coronavirus symptoms. The system has the capacity to test 600 patients a day and often has results back in less than six hours. Officials said there is enough PPE to keep employees and patients safe. UPMC doctors said during the event that their data is showing a slowed rate of infection and that the area is on the opposite side of what was supposed to be the worst period of the pandemic. Officials said coronavirus patients are currently using eight percent of ICU beds and about seven percent of their available ventilators. There are no pediatric coronavirus patients in the UPMC system.  UPMC officials said the hospital system includes 5,500 beds among 40 different hospitals and COVID-19 patients make up just 2 percent of their capacity.