Covid-19 Rapid Test Drive-thru Delivers Over 80 Positives in Five Hours

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – In the five hours of operation of the Covid-19 Test Center, set up in the Santos Arena on Saturday, May 30th, 86 rapid tests came back positive for the novel coronavirus. The drive-thru was organized by the City of Santos, a port on the coast of São Paulo, and will continue testing through Wednesday, June 3rd, always from 8 AM to 2 PM.

The figures are higher than those obtained on May 13th, when the first day of rapid tests was held at the drive-thru set up at the Mendes Convention Center. At the time, the City Hall recorded 25 positive results in six hours of attendance.

By 1:30 PM, the last update, over 1,600 rapid tests had already been conducted on the Santos population. The drivers lined up for almost one kilometer in the morning, which reached the intersection of Senador Feijó Avenue and João Eboli Street, according to information from Traffic Engineering Company (CET).

People are advised to always get in line at Senador Feijó Avenue and make their way to Rangel Pestana for optimal traffic flow.

Operation

The service is exclusively available to residents of Santos, who are required to present a document with a photo and proof of residence. Upon arrival, the residents register, and temperatures are checked using a laser forehead thermometer, as well as blood oxygenation using an oximeter. Furthermore, a brief report on the individual’s state of health is provided.

Once all requirements are met, residents proceed for the rapid test that collects blood from a finger. Rapid tests are used to screen suspected cases and to determine whether or not a person has had prior contact with the virus or is producing antibodies to fight it.

The rapid test result is available in 15 minutes. If positive, the next step involves collecting secretion from the nasal mucosa and pharynx for the RT-PCR laboratory test, to confirm the diagnosis. Two thousand RT-PCR kits are reserved for this purpose. After approximately three working days, the result is sent to the neighborhood polyclinic where the individual lives.

Source: G1