Controversial Champaign testing put on hold
Wednesday, Apr 1, 2020 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Yesterday…
Dr. Tom Pliura, an independent physician, has obtained thousands of COVID-19 tests and will be offering tests to the public at a drive-through test site in Champaign starting at 9 a.m. Wednesday.
The tests will be available to anyone, he said. […]
Pliura, a LeRoy-based doctor and lawyer who owns CampusTown Urgent Care at 631 E. Green St., C, said he has 8,000 tests available to start, and can get 8,000 more. He’ll be working with two private labs, Quest and LabCorp, which will be processing the tests and turning around results — he expects within three-to-four days, he said.
That was such an odd story. How did he get those tests? And shouldn’t those tests be going to hospitals and first responders or where they are most needed? Plus, private testing labs are being widely criticized for taking on more tests than they can quickly process. The backlogs are enormous and growing, so how could he expect results in three or four days?
* Today…
“In the interest of serving our local community, First Christian Church initially partnered with a local health care clinic to provide a mobile test site for COVID-19. After further conversation with the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District and medical officials, we have been advised to postpone this partnership.” […]
Champaign-Urbana Public Health District Administrator Julie Pryde said the church staff asked for her professional advice about going ahead with the drive-through, and she advised waiting until several questions that have been raised are answered.
“First of all, there is just no unfettered access to testing in this country,” she said.
“Among questions are tests done outside the guidelines, insurance coverage for testing and what people may wind up paying. Just because Dr. Tom Pliura has promised he won’t bill anyone without coverage doesn’t mean the private labs processing the tests won’t, she said. “There’s no reason they can’t hold off until the questions are answered,” she said.
- DuPage Saint - Wednesday, Apr 1, 20 @ 9:32 am:
You said it: How did he get those test? And frankly how did many people manage to get those test? I refer to whole sports teams, actors, politicians. Seems like some people more equal than others.
- H-W - Wednesday, Apr 1, 20 @ 9:42 am:
Interesting. If the tests were privately purchased with the intent of making them available to the poor or people who would otherwise not have access, that might make sense. But there is still the issue of unplanned interruptions with the supply chain during a public health crisis.
- Ed Equity - Wednesday, Apr 1, 20 @ 9:43 am:
In due time, this will be the right strategy. While Rich is right, first responders on the front lines need to triage testing based on what they are seeing, in some ways this makes me hopeful. Down the line, we’ll want churches, community centers, Walgreens, and everyone else to get in the testing game. Consider this NY Times story. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/31/health/coronavirus-asymptomatic-transmission.html?referringSource=articleShare&fbclid=IwAR0u5Uqg4DB5J9XoK1JMSqLzxi9b0sogF630JV51bj3qpYNY94MvyoUgpBg. Potentially 25% of those infected have virtually no symptoms. The “good” news is that we already know we have a lot of people WITH symptoms who have not been tested and recorded, and add on top of this the 25% who would never think to be tested, then this is likely a lot less lethal from a percentage standpoint. Obviously, from a volume, scale, growth perspective it is more than we can handle, but do think there is some silver lining in this, but we’ll only know when we can test at scale. The time will come.
- NIU Grad - Wednesday, Apr 1, 20 @ 9:46 am:
When this is over, there has to be a serious congressional investigation over how some people (including wealthy/high-profile individuals) across the nation were able to get tests in the midst of shortages.
- Socially DIstant Watcher - Wednesday, Apr 1, 20 @ 9:56 am:
Now, there’s a name…
https://www.elections.il.gov/CampaignDisclosure/CommitteeDetail.aspx?ID=wUlYbd4YNOYP6ZJNfqB3vQ%3d%3d
- In 630 - Wednesday, Apr 1, 20 @ 10:04 am:
I’ve seen things like this pop up and it always rubs the wrong way. A rich town in Connecticut buys testing for its residents, a law firm pays for private testing for employees, the NBA… it’s all line jumping. Health systems have been working hard just to keep doctors in line and stop sending Karen in because she has the sniffles.
All this privately arranged stuff delays the results of tests for people who really need it.
“It’s not about you” is too hard to grasp for too many people
- Demoralized - Wednesday, Apr 1, 20 @ 10:06 am:
These tests should have been seized.
- StixHix - Wednesday, Apr 1, 20 @ 10:07 am:
I know this for sure: Dr. Pliura has a brilliant mind. I won’t comment otherwise.
- Captain Obvious - Wednesday, Apr 1, 20 @ 10:17 am:
We can’t have the private sector succeeding at something the government is failing abysmally at, now can we? By all means, all the questions around this should be answered, but unlike Moe, who obviously must know this guy very well, I won’t automatically assume he is a grifter looking to cash in. Even if he is a doctor/lawyer. If doubts are adequately addressed, this would be a very good thing.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Apr 1, 20 @ 10:22 am:
=== We can’t have the private sector succeeding…===
Is this an “alternative fact“?
How did he get these? Who “markets” life saving testing like this?
There’s no inherent thought to first responders, hospital personnel… ?
The “haves and have nots” are going to be measured in the coming weeks and months by access… access to health care, testing, even masks.
=== If doubts are adequately addressed, this would be a very good thing.===
Why… “market”… this as he is?
It’s incredibly odd given the situation we all find ourselves.
- Demoralized - Wednesday, Apr 1, 20 @ 10:22 am:
==We can’t have the private sector succeeding at something the government is failing abysmally at, now can we?==
We have to have a coordinated response right now and we can’t have private things like this on the side, especially when tests are in high demand. Seize the tests. Now.
- Socially DIstant Watcher - Wednesday, Apr 1, 20 @ 10:23 am:
@ Captain Obvious: How is the misallocation of resources an example of “private sector success?”
Go ahead, spell it out for me. Please make that obvious.
- Rayne of Terror - Wednesday, Apr 1, 20 @ 10:43 am:
Dr. Pliura is a huge public servant who doesn’t wait for someone to tell him what he can or cannot do. He gives every student in Le Roy a free sports physical. He takes and wins prisoner medical cases. Everyone in Le Roy has a story to tell of his generosity either as a doctor or a lawyer. He is such a presence at high school sports that the student section at basketball games has a dress up like Dr. Pliura night. He’s eccentric, but he’s a true public servant.
- Last Bull Moose - Wednesday, Apr 1, 20 @ 11:01 am:
I am not usually in favor of seizing private property. This is an exception. He should get compensation. But those 8,000 tests can help the state get a handle on how prevalent this virus is.
The tests are much more valuable as part of a testing/sampling program than as independent tests. If the state had enough tests, independent tests would be fine. The state doesn’t and they aren’t.
- Lester Holt’s Mustache - Wednesday, Apr 1, 20 @ 11:38 am:
The statement by captain obvious brings a question to my mind - is the “abysmal failing” of the federal government on this because governments cannot succeed at responding to an event like this? Or is the abysmal failing something that may or may not have occurred, depending on whether or not the right people are in position to allow government to succeed at responding to an event like this?
It’s a philosophical question, sure, but considering the numerous instances over the last several years of qualified career people being pushed out of federal government for reasons like past political affiliation or making statements critical of the current president - along with putting incompetents like Alex Azar in charge of critical agencies and quietly sidelining others like Dr. Messionier at NCIRD (because she happened to be Rod Rosenstein’s sister) and Dr. Redfield at CDC (because he’s a poor public speaker) - it makes me wonder whether the “failing” is a problem inherent to governments or a problem created through mismanagement of government.
- Annonin - Wednesday, Apr 1, 20 @ 12:22 pm:
Mr/Ms Capt Obvious:
What was the good doc succeeding at?
Beating the federal govt at procurement?
Hmm
Seems like that was a Trump intent all along — let the pals and pal wanna bees make the $
If he had really used the Defense Production Act he would have command the supply chain and forced all products to FEMA ( or pick an agency) for distribution. Nope, Just focused on pressers when never ending series of superlatives.
Maybe someone drops a subpoena on the Dr for a few answers. Maybe Mr Dey or Kacich come to
- Pundent - Wednesday, Apr 1, 20 @ 12:29 pm:
=He’s eccentric, but he’s a true public servant.=
Great. The IDPH is looking for help. I got the alert on my phone as most of us did. Maybe he can start by coordinating efforts with theirs.
- RDB - Wednesday, Apr 1, 20 @ 12:33 pm:
He should send them to smaller counties where the need is immediate. Ford County has had one case already and yet the Gibson City hospital only had about 10 tests on hand last week.
- JudgeDavidDavis - Wednesday, Apr 1, 20 @ 3:02 pm:
Great example of Milton Rakove’s saying of “We Don’t Want Nobody Nobody Sent”.
- Anon221 - Wednesday, Apr 1, 20 @ 3:39 pm:
Here’s an interview Jessica Kunz did with Dr. Pluira last night-
https://tinyurl.com/rrlc98m
- Say What? - Wednesday, Apr 1, 20 @ 4:57 pm:
Dr. Pluira is a loose cannon. His mode of operation is promise the world and then leave town. Team player is not in his vocabulary.
The entire dynamic is very Dr. Pluira like.