Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center's infectious disease committee has been preparing for this for a few months. The medical provider has set up a 24/7 coronavirus hotline, a web-based assessment tool, and now drive-through coronavirus screening centers.
These sites are for people who suspect they have coronavirus and want prompt screening, even without a physician referral.
Dr. Lawrence Nycum is the Chief Clinical Officer for Novant Health in the area. He says that Novant is partnering with LabCorp, and expects to see testing capability increase over the next seven to ten days. But he warns that not everyone is eligible for screening.
“Let me caution, we're still only testing people that meet the criteria,” says Nycum. “This is not universal testing, let me be clear on that. People still need to have a fever, a cough, shortness of breath, and exposure to a known COVID-19 patient, or the same symptoms and a negative flu panel. Those are the two primary driving criteria.“
There are currently two sites in the county — one in Winston-Salem at 600 Highland Oaks Drive, and one in Kernersville at 111 Gateway Center Dr. Both are open Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For the most up-to-date information on coronavirus in North Carolina, visit our Live Updates blog here.
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