Walgreens: Turnaround is 24 hours
As the Covid-19 pandemic enters its third month in Shelby County, testing for the new virus continues to expand in the area. A total of 7,800 tests are now available on a daily basis, and only 60 percent of those are being used, Jenny Bartlett-prescott told reporters in a video news conference on Tuesday.
Bartlett-prescott is an executive with the Church Healthand has worked with various organizations to expand testing in the Memphis area.
Officials are urging people with even the slightest symptoms to get tested, and organizations are increasingly making tests available to people who lack any symptoms, reflecting the scientific consensus that people without symptoms can transmit the new coronavirus.
Isolate ahead of results
The COVID-19 test is often conducted via a nose swab, often in a drive-thru setting. Once you’re tested, you have to isolate yourself from other people until you receive results. That’s why it makes sense to choose a testing site that will provide results as soon as possible. You can usually ask about turnaround time during registration.
Testing without symptoms
The Christ Community Health Services clinics offer free testing at several locations in Memphis. Tests are processed through local lab Poplar Healthcare, usually within 24 hours, said spokeswoman Cris Stovall.
The clinic is offering tests to “essential workers” who don’t have symptoms, Stovall said, and the list of people who fit into that category is quite long.
It includes not only health care workers, but also other first responders as well as those who work in grocery stores, gas stations, restaurants, corrections, public utilities, sanitation and other fields deemed “essential” during the current crisis.
To register, text the code “Test2020” to phone number 91999. You will then be directed to an appointment at one of the following clinics:
❚ 3360 S. Third
❚ 3366 Mendenhall Mall in Hickory Hill
❚ 2861 Broad Ave.
❚ 969 Frayser Blvd. in Frayser
❚ 2569 Douglass Ave. in Orange Mound
Walgreens offers testing at 3502 Summer Avenue, at the intersection with Highland. It’s advertising a 24hour turnaround time.
Testing is by appointment only. Anyone seeking a test should complete an online health assessment available at Walgreens.com/covid19testing.
UT Health Science Center expands locations
The University of Tennessee Health Science Center has expanded the number of sites it operates around the city. The current locations are:
❚ North Frayser Community Center, 2555 St. Elmo Ave.
❚ Freeman Park in Bartlett. 2529 Bartlett Blvd.
❚ The Tiger Lane site at 450 Early Maxwell Blvd.
❚ The Agricenter, 7777 Walnut Grove Road
The sites operate at different hours. To register, text the code “covid” to 901203-5526. You will be directed to a testing site. The testing is free.
Daniel Connolly
Kroger, Cherokee Health testing
Kroger Health and Cherokee Health Systems are offering testing this week on the University of Memphis campus at the Central Avenue parking lot next to the Holiday Inn at 3700 Central Ave.
First responders and healthcare workers are eligible for the test without symptoms. Others are eligible if they have symptoms, even a slight cough, said Teresa Dickerson, a spokeswoman for Kroger.
The current round of testing takes place on Wednesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.
To make an appointment, fill out an online form at krogerhealth.com/covidtesting.
Reach Daniel Connolly at daniel.connolly@commercialappeal.com.