County health units to provide coronavirus testing next week

FAYETTEVILLE — Covid-19 testing will be available at county health units starting Monday, according to the Arkansas Department of Health.

Benton County’s health unit is on West Walnut Street in Rogers. Washington County’s health unit is on Wimberly Drive in Fayetteville. Testing will be available from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at both units, according to administrators from the units.

Some units, including the Benton County unit in Siloam Springs, are temporarily only doing phone services. Testing will not be available at those units or units dedicated solely to the state’s Women, Children and Infants program, according to Danyelle McNeill, spokeswoman for the department.

People who wish to be tested for covid-19 should call their county health units to make an appointment, according to a news release from the Health Department.

“Patients will be directed to self-collect specimens outside of the unit using a provided nasal swab and container,” according to the news release. “The specimens will then be sent to the state Public Health Laboratory. Results are typically made available within 48 to 72 hours, though it can take up to a week. Positive patients will be notified as soon as a result is available.”

Patients will not have to pay out-of-pocket for the tests, but insurance may be billed for patients who have it, according to the news release.

Several other facilities in Northwest Arkansas continue to screen and test people for the virus.

Walmart’s covid-19 testing site at the Home Office has moved, according to a news release.

A drive-through testing site is open at the pharmacy drive-through window at the Walmart Neighborhood Market, 1400 N. Walton Blvd., according to an email from Mitchell Communications. The site on Southwest Eighth Street was closed.

Anyone who has symptoms of covid-19 and who wishes to be tested must be screened and schedule an appointment through Quest Diagnostic’s online portal, MyQuestCOVIDTest.com or MyQuest app. Testing at the market will be from 7-9 a.m. Thursday and Friday.

Sites in Northwest Arkansas are generally collecting specimens via nasal and mouth swabs and sending them to be tested at commercial labs and the Arkansas Department of Health. Most test results are available within 48 hours.

Washington Regional Medical System collected specimens to be tested from 2,886 people from March 16 through Thursday at its Fayetteville hospital, coronavirus screening clinic and respiratory illness clinic, according to Cynthia Crowder, spokeswoman. Patients are encouraged but not required to call before coming to the clinic.

Washington Regional received 13,895 calls to its coronavirus screening hotline from March 16 through Thursday, Crowder wrote in an email.

Mercy Health System collected specimens to be tested from 2,101 people from March 20 through Thursday, according to Jennifer Cook, spokeswoman. People who suspect they have covid-19 must call Mercy’s call center and be screened and make

an appointment before going to Mercy’s evaluation site in Bentonville.

Community Clinic, which has four coronavirus screening sites in Northwest Arkansas, collected specimens to be tested from 1,110 people from March 30 through Thursday, according to Abbie Luzius, community development manager.

Patients are encouraged but not required to call before coming to the clinics.

Northwest Health doesn’t release how many people it tests for covid-19, Beth Wright, spokeswoman, said.

Representatives of Washington Regional, Mercy, Community Clinic and Northwest Health have all said their facilities are testing anyone with covid-19 symptoms, including symptoms added to the federal Centers for Disease Control’s list in late April.

Known symptoms of covid-19 previously were coughing, fever and shortness of breath. The centers added chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat and loss of taste or smell.

Benton County had 139

covid-19 cases, with 113 recovered, and no deaths as of 5 p.m. Friday, according to the Arkansas Department of Health. Washington County had 131 cases with 93 recovered, according to the department.

A sixth Washington County resident died Monday, according to county Coroner Roger Morris.

Two Oklahoma residents have also died in Washington County.

Alex Golden can be reached by email at agolden@nwadg.com or on Twitter @NWAalexgolden.