First Responders, Medical Personnel Take Part in Drive-Thru Testing
By Guy D’Astolfo
CAMPBELL, Ohio – Drive-thru COVID-19 testing began Monday morning at Roosevelt Park with the day set aside for first responders and medical workers.
By the 9 a.m. start time, a dozen cars were queued up in the parking lot next to the Community Center. Lucille Mazzocca of Campbell, who works in an area doctor’s office, was one of those waiting in her car for the test.
She has no symptoms of the virus but has asthma, and was pleased to be able to get tested. “I thought the line would be much longer,” she said.
The drive-thru testing was put together by QuickMed Urgent Care, which is the only clinic in the region able to process testing for COVID-19, the disease spread by the coronavirus. The clinic is able to turnaround results in 24 to 48 hours.
Testing is made possible by a partnership between QuickMed, which has locations in Liberty and Cortland, and Cornerstone CM Inc., a Poland-based distributor of upper respiratory testing processed through Ten Healthcare of St. Louis.
QuickMed tested about 200 first responders and medical workers at its locations on April 5. About 100 more were expected to be tested on Monday at Roosevelt Park, said Michael Marantis, president of Cornerstone CM.
Police directed cars into the park from the Sycamore Street entrance, where drivers snaked through until they reached the Community Center at the park. From there, two workers clad in full protective gear verified each patient’s identity and other documentation, and did nose swabs to be sent to the lab. The process took about 10 minutes per patient.
Marantis says the park is a perfect location for drive-thru testing. QuickMed and Cornerstone have been testing for COVID-19 in the Mahoning Valley for 10 days and have found infected individuals, he said. His company has 3,500 test kits earmarked for the area.
The drive-thru testing at the park is expected to be a lot busier April 7, 8 and 9 when the service is open to the general public. Testing will be from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. all three days. Those who want to be tested must first register at QuickMed-uc.com or by calling 724 734 5235.
A doctor will follow-up with each applicant with a face-to-face teleconference triage. If the patient meets the criteria, he will be registered for testing.
Those who are not registered will not be tested, Marantis said.
Campbell Police Chief Patrick Kelley was among the officials assisting at the park Monday morning. As of 10 a.m., Kelley said only one unregistered driver had shown up. The driver was diverted out of the line and asked to register before being allowed to get back in line.
Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
