MADISON, Wis. — As COVID-19 testing numbers wane, one top UW Health expert worries.

What You Need To Know

  • Public Health Dane County Madison representatives say testing down from record highs of 25,000 per week to now just a few thousand each week

  • UW Health Chief Quality & Safety Officer Dr. Jeff Pothof says people who might be positive could not only be a health risk, but may not know they qualify for a new IV infusion that can fight the symptoms

  • Dr. Pothof says testing also provides contact tracing and the ability to stay on top of the spread

The hospital system's Chief Quality and Safety Officer Dr. Jeff Pothof says testing is still crucial for controlling the pandemic.  

He says what many people don't know is a positive test means there is a strong likelihood they will be a candidate for a new i-v infusion now on the market.  He sas it can help individuals with symptoms get better sooner.

"We can actually reduce the chance that your COVID-19 infection is going to be severe and keep you in the hospital, or even kill you. So if you're having covid-19 symptoms don't brush that off, find out, do I have it or not and then you may be eligible for some of these monoclonal antibody therapies," Dr. Jeff Pothof said.  

Dr. Pothof says testing is also important because while vaccination numbers are on the rise — herd immunity has yet to be reached.

"Your risk is still kind of up there, you know, if we get to that 78 80% number, you know, then even the unvaccinated start to reap some of the benefits of a large proportion of the population vaccinated, but they don't quite have that yet," he said.

Dr Pothof says for now, contact tracing and isolating still important tools that come as a direct result of positive tests.