Drive-thru coronavirus testing stations are coming to Columbus. Here are the details.
Columbus will soon have two coronavirus drive-through testing stations. The first is already in operation, but testing will be limited to those who meet certain criteria, health officials told the Ledger-Enquirer Monday.
Pamela Kirkland, spokesperson for the Georgia Department of Public Health’s West Central Health District, said the department will be able to take specimens and test for the novel coronavirus by Wednesday at the earliest. Previously, Kirkland’s organization was not able to test for COVID-19. The drive-thru is located at 2100 Comer Avenue and is not limited to Columbus residents.
The other station is located at MercyMed of Columbus’ 2nd Avenue location. Supply is limited, and you must have an appointment through the West-Central Health District. The testing station began operating Monday, said Billy Holbrook, MercyMed’s director of development.
MercyMed samples taken are shipped off to Quest, a commercial lab. Results are expected in 48 to 72 hours. They currently have the ability to test less than 15 people a day, Holbrook said.
At either location, patients must meet certain criteria and be screened over the telephone by a health district official before being tested. Those who wish to be screened should contact the West Central Health District at 706-321-6300. After screening, those without primary care physicians would likely be sent to the MercyMed site, Kirkland said.
In guidance to medical professions on March 13, the state health department said people who have not had direct contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 or those with a mild illness that does not require medical care will not be eligible for state lab testing.
“If you have mild symptoms and haven’t been anywhere and don’t meet the criteria, you won’t be able to get a test from us,” Kirkland said. “At this point, I don’t know how many testing kits we are going to get.”
COVID-19 testing is being handled by state and commercial laboratories, and those with more mild symptoms could be tested at commercial labs. The state Department of Public Health recommends those patients isolate at home until their symptoms go away.
These commercial labs are expected to conduct “a substantial number” of COVID-19 tests going forward, according to the state health department. Primary care doctors can take samples, and private labs like LabCorp, Quest, ARUP and others are performing tests. Officials at both MercyMed and the West Central Health District recommended people contact their primary care doctor first.
“If you’re sick, you would normally call your doctor,” Kirkland said. “That’s what we really want. Call your physician first and have your doctor assess you.”
In his press conference Saturday, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said the state lab is currently processing 100 specimens per day for COVID-19, and the processing will double to 200 by the end of the week with the arrival of new equipment and employees.
As of March 17, there are 146 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Georgia, and most are in the metro Atlanta area. State health officials reported the state’s first and only coronavirus-related death to date on March 12. No cases have been reported in Columbus.
This story was originally published March 16, 2020 at 6:24 PM.