Dr. Morris; Covid-19 Test Results Still Slow [PODCAST]

CentraCare Spokesman Dr. George Morris joined me on WJON today.  He says because of continued increased demand and lack of supplies Covid-19 test results continue to be slow.  He says in some cases test results don't come back for as much as 2 weeks.  He says those with symptoms should still contact CentraCare and St. Cloud Hospital for tests while those that are just curious about whether they have or have had the virus should hold off.  Listen to my full conversation with Dr. Morris below.

Dr. Morris says masks protect those wearing them and those around those who are wearing them.  He addressed a question about whether facial hair is an issue for those wearing masks. He doesn't see facial hair as a problem for people around those with facial hair but did indicate that bacteria could form in the facial hair for those wearing masks for a long period of time.

Dr. Morris was asked if long finger nails could be a problem for bacteria.  He said likely no, but encourages people to wash their hands often.  Some research has been done indicating that those with type-O blood are less likely to develop severe Covid-19 symptoms while those with type-A blood are more likely to develop severe Covid-19 symptoms. Dr. Morris says more research is still being done on this.

Dr. Morris says St. Cloud Hospital continues to have patients with Covid-19 which includes some in their critical care (ICU) department.  He says they are seeing a slight downturn in the amount of cases at the hospital within the last week.  He says a case decrease due to the mask mandate could be taking effect within the next week.