SAN FRANCISCO - March 24, 2020 - (Newswire.com)
Drive-thru Coronavirus testing sites are popping up almost in each state including California, New York, Massachusetts, and Texas. Over the next few weeks, 50+ of these sites will be set up in approximately 12 states, testing czar Brett Giroir told reporters at a press conference earlier this week.
Some patients may struggle with finding the closest testing locations across the US and arrive at hospitals, where they congregate in the packed emergency rooms where the staff is are already overloaded with serious patient cases that need immediate medical attention.
AffordableScan has now published 60+ locations on their site affordablescan.com/blog/coronavirus-drive-thru-lab-locations, so patients can find the nearest drive-thru lab and wait in the comfort of their car to collect the lab specimen. Patients can use a search by map experience & easy filtering to find the closest facility with the best time availability. The team is working with a group of volunteers to continuously add more locations as they open up.
What can you expect when you actually pull up for testing?
A program manager for the critical care transport team at one of the testing locations said the whole process of the actual sample collection takes only five to 10 minutes. The goal is to lessen the burden on emergency rooms and urgent care, where people can wait for hours.
After patients pull up to a drive-thru test site, they are guided by road signs to follow a series of cones to lead them towards the first testing checkpoint. At that location, the medical staff checks to see doctor order and appointment time confirmation.
They pull up towards the next tent where they confirm their identity, provide an insurance card and proceed to drive-up to the final tent. At that final location, the lab technician asks them to roll their window just a crack and tilt their head back so their throat can be swabbed for testing and then they drive off.
The sample is put into a medically sterile container and sent to the lab for results. Usually, it takes 2-3 days to determine if the test is positive or negative, so patients can ease their worrying minds or seek necessary medical care if necessary. Drive-thru testing provides a scalable and safe option for Covid-19 testing that this nation needs to successfully mitigate this pandemic.
Related Links
List of Coronavirus drive-thru testing facilities
AffordableScan Blogpost
Press Release Service by Newswire.com
Original Source: AffordableScan Crowdsources Locations of 60+ Drive-Through Coronavirus Testing Facilities
