Drive-thru coronavirus screening is underway in Kearney at Family Practice Associates.
Latest news & resources: netNebraska.org/coronavirus
It’s similar to what is happening at Bryan Health in Lincoln. Patients set an appointment, drive up to a tent outside the building, get a mouth swab and are screened for influenza and respiratory illnesses. If they test negative for the flu and respiratory illness, their swabs are then sent to state labs for COVID-19 testing. Two patients have had their swabs sent to state labs for COVID-19 testing. Results are still pending. Dr. Kyle Meyers is a physician at Family Practice Associates in Kearney. He says they started screening for COVID-19 at the clinic on Monday.
“People who go into the clinic you know, just for well visits, they're very appreciative that we've set this pen up outside so that they know that they feel safe coming into the office, and that they're not going to be exposed to any potential respiratory illness on the inside,” Meyers said.
So far they’ve seen 70 patients, not including figures for Thursday. He says it’s important to do this for the community for testing purposes but also to stem the tide of fear.
“There was a lot of fear in the community about coming into the doctor's office right now, because of you know, this covered 19 illness,” Meyers said. “We're starting to see people deciding not to come in, out of that fear.”
Dr. Meyers says Family Practice Associates will continue screening for at least a month but it could go on longer.
Latest news & resources: netNebraska.org/coronavirus
(Editor's note: previous versions of this story incorrectly stated the clinic in Kearney was testing for COVID-19. They are screening for the disease and sending potential cases to state labs for testing)