Drive-thru testing to be held at Sportsplex

Jul. 14--Athens-Limestone Hospital is hosting COVID-19 drive-thru testing this week in Athens.

The hospital, which is working with the Limestone County Emergency Management Agency, the City of Athens, Limestone County Commission and the Greater Limestone County Chamber of Commerce, will hold the Working Together to Keep Athens-Limestone County Safe event starting Wednesday. The drive-thru clinic will be held 8 a.m. until noon Wednesday, July 15 and 22, and Thursday, July 16 and 23, at Athens Sportsplex, 1403 U.S. 31.

Results should be available within 48 to 72 hours. A hospital staff member will notify patients with results, officials said.

Testing will be billed to the patient's insurance company, and they might receive a statement from Assurance Scientific Laboratories. Those without insurance will be billed $100 for testing.

ALH Director of Physician Network Sebrina Holt said billing will be handled through the mail and no money will be collected the day of testing.

Holt said the COVID-19 drive-thru testing will be similar to a drive-thru flu clinic. She said three stations will be set up at the Sportsplex. At the first station, patients will fill out paperwork before moving to the second station to verify their information. Specimens will be collected at the third station, and then patients can be on their way, according to Holt.

Holt said the difference between this clinic and other hospital fever and flu clinics is this one will be "testing only." Patients will not have their symptoms assessed in the drive-thru, Holt said.

"You can be asymptomatic," Holt added. "You do not have to be displaying symptoms to be tested."

Patients also do not need a physician order, she said.

COVID-19 numbers in Limestone County are going up, according to Holt.

She said a lot of people, including those who are asymptomatic, are showing up at regular clinics and overwhelming the staff and making it hard for them to take care of the those who are really sick.

Holt said a clinic like Medical East normally sees about 40 patients a day this time of year. Right now, they are seeing more than 100 a day, she said.

She said it's one of the reasons the hospital is hosting drive-thru testing.

___

(c)2020 The News Courier (Athens, Ala.)

Visit The News Courier (Athens, Ala.) at enewscourier.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.