COVID-19

UConn Health Rolls Out Drive-Thru Sampling for COVID-19

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UConn Health is ramping up its efforts to help detect the coronavirus by offering drive-thru sampling for COVID19.

The health organization is looking to help with the demand of COVID-19 testing by offering to collect samples from those who believe they have symptoms of the disease, and who have a prescription from their doctor.

UConn Health is strongly encouraging patients to schedule an appointment before showing up.

There's a list of guidelines for patients to follow before getting tested:

  1. Must bring a valid prescription for testing from your doctor or practitioner.
  2. Show their ID (Example: Drivers License)
  3. Patients' cars must be lower than 8 feet.
  4. Patients' car windows must be in working condition and be able to roll all the way down.

Once permitted access inside the drive-thru, patients go through a series of tents. First, patients show their ID to a greeter. The next step is the collection of samples. Doctors and nurses in personal protective equipment swab the patients from inside their cars.

The sample is then sent off to testing facilities and goes through a diagnostic test. Results are ready within 24-48 hours.

If you do show up without an appointment, the staff will try to work with you to schedule an appointment as long as you have a prescription from your doctor. However, health leaders recommend scheduling an appointment to help doctors and nurses with the flow of drive-thru sampling.

The sampling side is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday by appointment only. The site is located at 263 Farmington Avenue in Farmington.

You can call this number to set up an appointment: 860-679-1869.

UConn Health announced that they are the first in the state to receive approval by the Department of Public Health to set up a triage tent. Those tents offer an additional workspace for possible COVID-19 patients.

Testing at UConn Health
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Triage Tent outside of the Emergency Department.

Dr. Scott Allen is the interim chief medical officer at UCONN Health and said the triage's are a key necessity for stopping the spread of the coronavirus.

"The benefit of the triage tent is keeping patients out of the office, and out of the emergency room," said Allen. "They give us the opportunity to keep COVID suspect patients out of the ER where they could potentially expose not only patients but medical staff."

The UConn Health COVID-19 Call Center is available Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. If you believe you have symptoms of COVID, you are asked to call your primary physician.

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