Coronavirus: UW Medicine Sets Up Drive-Thru Testing For Patients

SEATTLE, WA — The University of Washington School of Medicine set up a drive-thru coronavirus testing site for UW Medicine patients and first responders, according to a release from the school.

Patients with appointments will remain in their cars while a swab is taken from both nostrils. The testing team plans to screen 50 people daily.

The coronavirus testing clinic started on March 16 and is by appointment only.

UW Medicine's Dr. Thomas Hei was at the screening event Monday. He said they are ensuring patients have minimal risk of being infected or infecting others.

Hei said he recognized that not all families have the capability to use a drive-thru clinic, and that "we are working very hard to try and find other avenues for that."

Laurie Kuypers, a registered nurse, said in an interview that she works in the operating room so is used to having a mask on all the time. Changing in and out of clothes so often, however, was "interesting, to say the least," she said in the video below.

The testing site is at the UW Medical Center's Northwest Outpatient Medical Center at 10330 Meridian Avenue North.

It is similar to the drive-up clinic used to test UW Medicine employees suspected of being infected with coronavirus, but set up to "provide additional screening capacity, support personal protective equipment conservation efforts and help reduce the number of patients entering healthcare facilities for testing," the release says.

Symptoms of the coronavirus include fever, cough, sore throat and shortness of breath. UW Medicine patients

UW Medicine patients experiencing symptoms of the coronavirus should call their physician to see if testing is needed. They should call a physician or the UW Medicine Virtual Clinic to see if testing is needed, and will get a referral.

The patient drive-up clinic is open Monday through Friday.