These questions include whether the person lives in a nursing home, is a first responder or takes care of a senior citizen. It also asks for information about the person's living situation and profession, which could heighten risk or contribute to the spread of the virus. It screens for other health conditions, such as pregnancy, diabetes or asthma. In the online form, the companies ask questions about a patient's symptoms and risk factors.įor example, the online form on CVS' website asks if the person has had a fever, cough or difficulty breathing. On CVS' and Walgreens' websites, people must fill out an assessment that's based on criteria from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The new drive-thrus are open to the general public, but people must qualify for a test and make an appointment. He spoke to CNBC this week about who qualifies for a test and how the process works. 'So, we figure, we're going to have to set up local testing centers that aren't quite this big, and we're trying to understand exactly how could we best do that.' 'This testing is going to be important for the next 18 months,' he said. moves beyond the 'blunt part of the epidemic,' Brennan said testing will remain critical and may look different. He said CVS is negotiating with other states, along with the federal government, to open additional drive-thru sites, and it's getting more of Abbott's rapid-testing devices.Įven as the U.S.

'This is cutting down from seven days to 15 minutes.' 'In a pandemic like this, that time is so valuable,' he said. He said the setup of drive-thrus makes it easier to increase testing volume, and the new device expedites results by making it possible to run tests on-site instead of sending them to a lab. Armed with data, he said, sick people know to strictly self-isolate and government officials can better understand the scope of the problem and identify areas where cases are rising. Troyen Brennan said that drive-thru testing will contribute crucial information. Andrew Cuomo said this week that he's exploring how the hard-hit state could reduce risk as people eventually return to the workplace.ĬVS Chief Medical Officer Dr. This will help supplement the hospitals and government-run drive-thrus that are doing testing, too.īy opening additional drive-thru locations and expediting results, CVS Health and Walgreens are trying to increase the volume of tests - a tool that's become critical as business leaders and government officials try to determine when they can loosen lockdowns. In mid-March, the pharmacy chains were among the retailers who pledged at the White House to help expand testing sites. has lagged behind other countries in coronavirus testing. It also relocated its Massachusetts drive-thru to a site in Lowell that has capacity for five lanes.īoth are also using a new tool: Abbott Laboratories ' ID Now, which can deliver test results in minutes. CVS opened up two new drive-thrus on Monday: one in Atlanta and one near Providence, Rhode Island. Walgreens plans to open 15 more testing sites across seven states, starting this week. Personal Loans for 670 Credit Score or Lower Personal Loans for 580 Credit Score or Lower Best Debt Consolidation Loans for Bad Credit

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