New Coronavirus Testing Option For DC-Area Residents

GEORGETOWN, DC — One Medical had already been providing coronavirus testing for its members at an open-air testing site in Georgetown. On Friday, the health-care provider expanded its testing services to all residents of the D.C. metro region on an appointment-only basis.

"Right now, we're recommending anyone with coronavirus concerns to contact our virtual team," said Christopher Saj, a physician assistant-certified with One Medical. "We'll get them set up for testing at the Georgetown testing center."

One Medical is providing a free 30-day public access to its virtual medical team to be assessed and tested. After 30 days, the company will not auto-enroll or bill a membership fee.

One Medical's virtual medical team will assess anyone who believes they need a test for COVID-19, the illness associated with the coronavirus, and schedule an appointment if it's deemed necessary. To schedule an assessment, a patient just needs to use the GETCARE30 promo code on One Medical's website.

"We have providers that work virtually that are messaging back and forth through our secure messaging platform and through video chats to assess them for testing," Saj said. "People can drive up in a car. They can bike up by appointment or walk up by appointment."

According to Saj, the test takes less than 5 minutes. Medical personnel on site will collect a specimen using a nasal swab. The specimen is then sent off to a commercial lab for testing and One Medical will contact the patient with the results via its secure messaging system.

"It can take up to two or three days, but currently we're seeing a 24-hour turnaround," Saj said.

One Medical has taken a number of steps to protect its staff and patients from becoming infected with COVID-19. Appointments are spaced out to prevent overlap or lines forming. The Georgetown can test up to 100 patients a day.

"Definitely, having an outdoor facility reduces some of that risk, because you're not in an office," Saj said. "You have free air-flow there. All of our staff is in full PPE with the N95 mask, googles, gowns and gloves. The only person who really interacts with the patient is the provide doing the swab."

To protect the privacy of the patients, One Medical is not releasing the location of its Georgetown testing facility, although it does display signage identifying it as a testing site. Patients will be given the address of the facility when they make their appointment.

"We want to avoid having patients having to go to the ER or other services there for testing when we can offer it as an outpatient and let the ER take care of the patients that are critically ill," Saj said. "Let us take care of the testing side of it."

The District opened a free coronavirus testing facility March 30 at United Medical Center. The facility is open to individuals who work at a health-care facility in the District, and D.C. first responders who exhibit COVID-19 symptoms. The facility is also open to all D.C. residents, provided they have an appointment. The facility is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Individuals who think they may have COVID-19 should contact their health-care provider. Certified clinicians are available 24/7 through the D.c. Department of Behavioral Health’s mental health hotline: 1-888-793-4357.

As of Monday morning, 14,113 people in the District have been tested for the coronavirus and 630 have recovered.

Mayor Muriel Bowser shared a slide Monday listing the various places District residents can be tested for the coronavirus:

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