Here's A List Of Coronavirus Testing Sites In Bay Area; Most Required Doctor's Order For Testing
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- Several testing sites for the coronavirus have been set up around the San Francisco Bay Area, but most require some form of pre-screening, existing conditions or doctor's order before a test will be given.
Nearly all the testing sites will require that the patient meets Centers Of Disease Control and Prevention criteria:
- Exposure to someone with a confirmed case of the illness
- Older adults -- 60 years or older
- People who have serious chronic medical conditions like: Heart disease, Diabetes, Lung disease
- Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
- Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
- New confusion or inability to arouse
- Bluish lips or face
Verily
Two sites, one at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds and the other at the San Mateo County Event Center, are invitation-only, operated by Verily Life Sciences, a subsidiary of Alphabet, the parent company of Google.
When testing launched Monday, the two sites completed 30 tests. As of Tuesday evening, the total for both sites had reached 320, according to Governor Gavin Newsom.
To participate, patients must apply online, not exhibit symptoms of the disease, and pass the online screening. Once approved, test subjects will receive a phone call or email. Anyone who arrives at the gates with no appointment, even if they have their own doctor's note, will be turned away by the heavy security.
APPLY FOR TESTING ONLINE: Project Baseline
Stanford
Stanford researchers are hoping that they'll soon be able to conduct around 1,000 coronavirus tests daily to provide to patients and hospitals in the Bay Area and beyond.
On Monday, Stanford Medicine said in a press release that their Clinical Virology Lab is testing hundreds of samples from COVID-19 patients daily, adding that within the next week, the lab hopes to be able to conduct over 1,000 daily tests, with results typically being delivered in 24 hours.
"We are tapping into the rich resources of Stanford University and Stanford Health Care to scale up our capacity as quickly as possible to provide the tests that clinicians need to care for their patients," said lab medical director Benjamin Pinsky, MD, PhD, associate professor of pathology and of infectious diseases at the School of Medicine.
Stanford Medicine has set up a drive-through testing for patients who have been referred by a physician. The patient must make an appointment at Stanford Express Care's Hoover Pavilion location in Palo Alto, seven days a week, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Patients are notified of results within 24 hours.
Kaiser
Kaiser Permanente has set up several drive-up testing sites for its members at East Bay locations and in San Francisco at its San Francisco Medical Center on Geary Boulevard. But the drive-up testing sites are only for Kaiser members. Those who request testing must have an order signed by a Kaiser system doctor's order to be tested.
The testing locations will enable Kaiser to safely test patients who may have COVID-19 while minimizing potential COVID-19 exposure to Kaiser staff, other patients and the community in general, Kaiser spokeswoman Kerri Leedy said.
The outdoor drive-up testing stations enable Kaiser to safely test patients while minimizing potential COVID19 exposure to Kaiser medical staff, Leedy said, and helps enable better management of supplies of protective equipment for both patients and staff.
UCSF
The University of California, San Francisco Medical Center has been testing hospitalized patients, emergency department patients and patients at its Parnassus respiratory screening clinic who have symptoms of the coronavirus. Patients should speak to their doctor first, but unlike some of the other major testing sites a doctor's order is not required at UCSF.
John Muir Health
John Muir has set up testing sites at four East Bay urgent care centers in the Bay Area -- Berkeley, Brentwood, Pleasanton and Walnut Patients must have an order from a John Muir Health-affiliated doctor to get a test.
Once approved, you will receive an appointment at one of the urgent care centers. Testing was also being offered for high-risk patients only at John Muir's Concord and Walnut Creek emergency departments if they meet screening criteria and have respiratory symptoms. Results can take up to four or five days.
Private Testing Facilities
LabCorp
During several news conferences, President Donald Trump has mentioned Labcorp was helping with the surge of coronavirus tests being given around the country. But on Wednesday, the testing company told the public those tests are being processed for collection sites at its local offices.
"LabCorp does not collect specimens for COVID-19 testing at our locations," company officials said. "We are asking individuals who are or may be positive for COVID-19 not to visit our locations to help minimize possible transmission."
Testing Sites Not Requiring Doctors Order
Carbon Health
The chain of primary care and urgent care clinics, is doing testing at all of its urgent care locations in the Bay Area and Los Angeles. There are nine locations in the Bay Area. A doctor's order is not needed, but Carbon Health urges patients to first use the free online coronavirus risk assessment screening tool before seeking a test. You do not have to be a Carbon Health patient to seek a test; any California resident can get one. It takes three to six days to get results.
Forward
Located in San Francisco's Financial District. Lab officials were encouraging patients to first use the remote assessment feature in the Forward app so a care team can assess who may have the virus. Those whose remote assessment indicates who is in need for testing. It is available for Forward members only, but the company expects to expand the service to non-Forward members later this month. Results come back in 36 to 48 hours.
