Abstract
The authors aim to demonstrate that the current drive-through testing model at a health district was improved in certain parameters compared with a previous testing protocol, and to provide the methodology of the current model for other coronavirus disease (COVID-19) testing sites to potentially emulate. Initially, a small drive-through site was constructed at a converted tuberculosis clinic, but due to an increase in testing needs, an expanded point of screening and testing (POST) system was developed in an event center parking lot to administer tests to a higher volume of patients. An average of 51.1 patients was tested each day (2.0 tests per personnel in personal protective equipment [PPE] per hour) at the initial tuberculosis clinic drive-through site, which increased to 217.8 patients tested each day (5.9 tests per personnel in PPE per hour) with the new drive-through POST system (P < 0.001). Mean testing time was 3.4 minutes and the total time on-site averaged 14.4 minutes. This POST drive-through system serves as an efficient, safe, and adaptable model for high volume COVID-19 nasopharyngeal swabbing that the authors recommend other COVID-19 testing sites nationwide consider adopting for their own use.
Highlights
An average of 51.1 patients was tested each day (2.0 tests per personnel in personal protective equipment [PPE] per hour) at the initial tuberculosis clinic drive-through site, which increased to 217.8 patients tested each day (5.9 tests per personnel in PPE per hour) with the new drive-through point of screening and testing (POST) system (P < 0.001)
The novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the pathogen responsible for a pandemic beginning in 2020, which was declared an emergency by nearly every state in the United States.[1,2]
One of the challenges that health care providers are facing during this pandemic is inadequate access to diagnostic tests for patients.[3]. This presents the problem of the inability to confirm whether potential patients are positive for coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which could facilitate its spread,[4] but it distorts public opinion on the severity of this situation.[5]
Summary
A small drive-through site was constructed at a converted tuberculosis clinic, but due to an increase in testing needs, an expanded point of screening and testing (POST) system was developed in an event center parking lot to administer tests to a higher volume of patients. COVID-19 Testing Samples were obtained initially via both nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swabs in Phase 1 and nasopharyngeal swabs alone in the latter part of Phase 1 and throughout Phase 2. Patients were initially asked a series of questions relating to exposure, work environment, and symptoms by an assessment administered over the telephone through the WCHD COVID-19 Community Triage Line. Based on these questions, appointments were scheduled for patients deemed to be at high risk for infection. Testing during Phase 1 occurred at WCHD’s TB clinic, which was converted to a COVID-19 testing center. Testing occurred 6 days per week for 8 hours each day, from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, with a variable number of patient appointments scheduled at each
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