News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Livingston Regional Hospital is now conducting same-day Covid testing.
For now, the testing is reserved for emergency patients and surgeries. Director of Physician Relations David Cox said if supplies increase, same-day testing could be available for the entire community.
“I certainly hope the community will be able to have this available to them,” Cox said. “Right now, we are encouraging people to still continue to use their health departments and the facilities close to them that have the ability of getting testing done.”
Cox said same-day testing is a necessity for all health care facilities, but test kits are scarce at this time. Cox said the hospital is trying to make sure the emergency room does not overflow with non emergent patients to be tested for Covid.
“Patients come in and have a script written from their surgeon or if they are a patient that goes through the ER, they have a script written,” Cox said. “Our lab technician comes down and takes a very long swab that collects the specimen in the back of the nasal cavity. They run the test in the machine in the lab and call you on your phone, so you do not have to wait for that specimen result.”
Livingston Regional Hospital does not have a number for how many same-day testings have been conducted. Cox said a timeline for when the community may receive same-day testing is unknown.
“We encourage people to just continue washing their hands and social distancing as much as possible,” Cox said. “It is a need, but unfortunately it is not something everybody can do right now.”
