UofL Health begins drive-thru COVID-19 testing

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - The University of Louisville on Thursday began drive-thru coronavirus testing.

The UofL Health parking lot is located on Brook Street between Muhammad Ali and Liberty Street.

“Really what we want to do is centralize this to get it away from our clinics,” Emergency Medicine Physician Dr.Hugh Shoff said, “so our patients aren’t exposing those other patients who are just there for routine care or a regular office visit, as well as help our resources, our PPE (personal protective equipment), our swabs, etc. We can help control that with this one ability to test right here at our center.”

The UofL Health parking lot is located on Brook Street between Muhammad Ali and Liberty Street.

The entrance to the testing site near the University of Louisville Health Jewish Hospital is marked with several signs.

Right now, only those who have already seen a UofL health professional can use the drive-thru and only by appointment..

“These are patients that we see in our practice,” said Cindy Lucchese, the chief nurse executive for the UofL Physician Group. "It’s the most vulnerable patients with underlying conditions.

“After seeing our providers, they are scheduled for drive-thru testing.”

Patients in the drive-thru are asked to turn off their air conditioner, roll down their window and tilt their head back.

Personnel in full protective gear swab the back of the patient’s nose and package to swab for testing at a lab.

Shoff said the drive-thru staff can test for fever, shortness of breath and other possible COVID-19 symptoms. He said there were 12 appointments on Thursday’s schedule, but added that he hopes to grow that number quickly.

“(Tomorrow) we’re looking to scale it up to the 20 or 30 range, depending on (staff) available,” Shoff said.

Anyone who shows up without an appointment, even if he or she shows symptoms, will be given instructions on how to follow the procedures.

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