Austin Regional Clinic offers COVID-19 curbside testing
Drive-up COVID-19 testing is now available in Kyle, Austin, Cedar Park and Round Rock.
Austin Regional Clinic (ARC) opened the first of five drive-up testing sites at the South First Street Austin location. The other four locations, including Kyle, will be open by Thursday, April 2.
Those who want to be tested must have a lab test order from an ARC physician, which can be ordered through an evaluation in the clinic or via telemedicine. The physician will look for symptoms of COVID-19 to determine eligibility for testing: fever, persistent cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing.
“If the doctor finds you should be tested for COVID-19, you will be directed to our nearest driveup testing site,” said Katie Henry, ARC chief administrative officer. “Please, make sure you have had a telemedicine evaluation and have received a doctor’s order for testing so we can move patients through more quickly and easily.”
To schedule a telemedicine appointment with an ARC doctor, call ARC’s COVID-19 hotline anytime at 866-453-4525. Anyone who shows up to the driveup site without a lab order will be scheduled for a telemedicine appointment which may occur without much waiting time in the parking lot. Then the patient can return to the drive-up testing tent if they meet the testing criteria.
ARC is launching the drive-up testing in tents in response to increasing public concern during the ongoing pandemic.
“Patients appreciate that they put fewer people at risk and face less risk themselves by being tested outside,” Henry said. “Like ARC, they want to minimize the spread of this virus in Central Texas.”
“There is no guarantee anyone will get a test, but we do have a bigger supply of tests this week than we had before so we are able to do more tests than previously. We are still trying to get more testing supplies so we can continue to do more tests,” said ARC’S Vice President of Marketing, Communications and Engagement Heidi Shalev.
Limited supplies impact the number of people that can be tested. The fewer testing supplies, the more ARC will need to conserve them for their high-risk patients, said Shalev.
By conducting the testing outside its facilities in tents, ARC minimizes staff usage of facemasks and other personal protective equipment (PPE), which is in short supply.
When patients with a lab order from an ARC physical show up to an ARC-testing site, the clinician will screen each patient for breathing difficulties. For those who do not require immediate medical attention, the clinician will take a nasal swab and send it to CPL or Labcorp for testing. Results can take anywhere from 2-10 days.
Currently state labs are not charging patients for this test and most insurance companies have agreed to cover costs for tests at commercial labs. ARC will send tests for patients without insurance to public health labs, Shalev said.
At the following dates and locations, ARC driveup testing will be available Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Symptoms of COVID-19 can appear between 2-14 days of exposure to the virus. Symptoms include fever, cough and shortness of breath. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention states that people should seek medical attention if they display one or more of the following symptoms: difficulty breathing or shortness of breath; persistent pain or pressure in the chest; new confusion or inability to arouse; or bluish lips or face. The CDC recommends calling a doctor’s office or emergency room before going. Those who self-isolate with COVID-19 can leave self-isolation if they haven’t had a fever for at least 72 hours (without the use of medicine that reduces fevers), symptoms have improved and it’s been at least 7 days since symptoms first appeared, according to the CDC.