The Strategic National Stockpile is nearly out of the protective N95 respirators, surgical masks, face shields, gowns and other supplies medical professionals use while treating COVID-19 patients. A health department spokeswoman said 10 percent of the stockpile will be reserved to support federal response efforts. The supplies are expected to be replenished by the end of April.
The Division of Public Health (DPH) received 5,000 COVID-19 test kits that can provide results in 5-15 minutes. DPH intends to use the kits to test health care workers, first responders and residents of long-term care facilities where outbreaks are suspected, according to a DPH release.
Five patients and three staff members of the Delaware Psychiatric Center (DPC) have tested positive for COVID-19, making it the seventh care facility in the state to report at least one case of the illness. According to health department officials, the patients have been isolated within a particular unit at the DPC, while staffers are self-isolating at home.
A new blood test can identify within seven hours whether a person carries the genetic mutation underlying fragile X syndrome, one of the leading genetic markers of autism. Previously, it could take as long as two weeks to receive the results of a blood test for fragile X syndrome. The new test is intended to be used in conjunction with family history and behavioral observation and cannot be used on fetuses.
Leaked Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) documents show that the federal government has supplied only a fraction of the protective medical equipment mid-Atlantic states have requested. By March 31, FEMA’s allocation to Delaware included 0.05 percent of the gloves requested, two percent of the surgical masks and 22 percent of the N95 respirators. Gov. Carney’s spokesman said Delaware was seeking to fill the gap with donations.
