A drive-through coronavirus test center in Goyang, South Korea on March 4, 2020. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, March 19 (Korea Bizwire) — A local drive-through clinic is gaining attention for its efficient test methods amid the coronavirus outbreak.
The clinic, located in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, tested a total of 2,331 people from Feb. 26 to last Tuesday, for a total of around 111 people per day. Among them, three people were identified as confirmed COVID-19 patients.
The clinic has implemented a three-phase system where visitors can undergo the test from their car.
By minimizing physical contact with the medical staff, the system reduces the risk of transmission, and saves time on disinfection and ventilation processes.
It only takes 10 minutes to sign up for a test, check body temperature, obtain samples from the nose and mouth, go through disinfection process, and receive relevant education.
As many as 60 tests can be completed each day by collecting six samples each hour and operating for 10 hours every day.
There are some 50 drive-through clinics across the country that use a similar system, which is efficient considering that other clinics are capable of conducting two tests each hour or 20 tests each day.
The system is being lauded worldwide after it gained attention from both domestic and foreign media sources, including CNN and the BBC.
The clinic is run by 22 medical staff including four doctors that rotate in a double shift every day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
A little over 15 million won (US$12,000) was spent to set up the clinic that covers an area of 1,680 square meters.
Disinfection of vulnerable areas, such as the entrance to the clinic, is completed with an African swine fever (ASF) disinfector owned by the city.
The clinic can accommodate as many as 50 cars simultaneously. Police officers and volunteers are stationed outside of the clinic to guide incoming visitors.
“The system minimizes physical contact with the medical staff, thereby lowering the risk of infection and saving the time to disinfect and ventilate,” said Lee Jae-jun, the mayor of Goyang.
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
