BRISTOL, Connecticut — There’s some good news on the Coronavirus testing front. Bristol Hospital opened its COVID-19 outdoor specimen collection station Friday at around 2 p.m. Friday. By 2:30 p.m, they collected four samples. Patients who have symptoms associated with the Coronavirus will now be able to be tested at a drive-up facility. The idea is to keep them isolated from the hospital's general population.
There are four, 10 x 10 portable sheds hooked up with electricity and internet.
In order to be tested, you’ll need to have a written order from your primary care doctor. They also ask you have photo I.D., and your insurance card if you have insurance.
You’ll need to go to the hospital’s Queen Street lot entrance, not the main entrance. They ask you to keep your windows rolled up and follow the directions of staff who will eventually instruct you to get out of the car, go under a small tent, and sit in a chair. FOX61 asked Bristol Health’s emergency manager why they have people get out of the vehicle at all. David Koscuk said, “The nasal swab can be a procedure that would induce a cough or a sneeze. We are just trying to be mindful of the fact that we don’t want them sneezing or coughing in the car if we can help it just so there is no further contamination.”
After the swab, you’ll wash your hands, get back in your car and leave. The nasal swab will be sent to the University of Washington Reference Laboratory with a turnaround time for results estimated to be approximately one week.
So to recap the 4 step process...
1. You’ll Check-in with a Security Officer and Bristol Police Officer.
2. Drive to the Check-in station where they’ll check your I.D. and doctor's order.
3. You’ll get a nasal swab, which is then labeled and placed into a refrigerator.
4. You’ll drive off the site.
They’ll be open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m, 7 days a week...or until they run out of the chemical agent they need to ship the samples. Right now, they only have the capacity to do a few hundred samples. Test results will be communicated to your primary care doctor, the CDC, State Health Department, and any other relevant agencies.