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People worried about coronavirus flooding emergency rooms

ATLANTA — Medical professionals are concerned over people clogging medical facilities over coronavirus when they aren't even showing symptoms.

Channel 2′s Sophia Choi was at Grady Memorial Hospital in downtown Atlanta, where emergency rooms like the one at Grady are getting jam-packed with people, at times causing hourslong waits.

Isaiah Owens was leaving the emergency room after getting a coronavirus test. He said he just wanted to make sure he didn't have it.

"I just wanted to get tested," Owens said. "I don't have it. I don't be showing no symptoms of none of that, you know. Better to get yourself checked out. Better safe than sorry."

Medical workers said people worried about the virus are overwhelming the system.

"Our emergency rooms are overwhelmed right now, trying to manage folks, and so we’re encouraging people with just mild symptoms to just try to isolate at home," Dr. Elizabeth Ford said.

Local fire departments are also asking you not to call 911 for a coronavirus test. From Cherokee and Cobb to DeKalb counties, firefighters are putting out that message on Facebook. Local health departments are saying the same thing.

"First of all, the Health Department does not at this point have tests for COVID-19," Ford said.

Hospitals that are testing said only the truly ill need one.

Ownes said the emergency room is full of people just like him.

"There's a lot of people that's sick in there, that's ill, but it seems like not a lot of them have corona," Owens said.

We’re working to figure out how Grady, Northside, Emory and Piedmont hospitals are isolating patients who really have coronavirus from those who don’t.