DCH drive-through coronavirus testing in Tuscaloosa to resume Monday (WBRC.com)
By Kelvin Reynolds | March 19, 2020 at 6:49 PM CDT - Updated March 20 at 4:47 AM
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (WBRC) - Drive-through coronavirus testing entered its fourth day in Tuscaloosa on Thursday, but will take a break until Monday due to weather.
DCH Regional Medical Center is overseeing drive-through coronavirus testing there and officials believe the testing is going well because of a slight testing difference here compared to some other places. DCH is working with the Alabama Department of Public Health. The hospital gets saliva specimens from people in the drive-through clinic while they’re still in their car. They send the specimens to the state health department to test the results.
“There’s a nationwide shortage of nasal swabs, which is pretty much the standard most have been using. We decided early on, since we were short as well, to go with a sputum test, which is basically spitting in a cup. We have much more supplies of that,” according to Andy North, the Vice President of Communications and Marketing for DCH.
Test results become available in about three days. People who test positive for coronavirus will be notified by the hospital.
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more: https://www.wbrc.com/2020/03/19/dch-drive-thru-coronavirus-testing-continues-tuscaloosa/