Drive-thru testing has begun in Massachusetts, but many require appointments, prescription from doctor

Coronavirus testing locations: Drive-thru testing has begun in Massachusetts, but many require appointments, prescription from doctor

Updated Mar 18, 2:22 PM; Posted Mar 18, 12:48 PM

UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester setting up screening tents amid COVID-19 outbreak

By Michael Bonner | mbonner@masslive.com

As the coronavirus pandemic reaches Massachusetts, some health care providers in the state have started offering “drive thru testing” for COVID-19.

However, the name can be misleading. The testing is far from a made-to-order process available to everyone, which customers normally associate with drive-thru in the fast-food industry.

The protocols issued by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still pertain to the drive thru testing across the state. That means drive thru testing isn’t for people looking to be tested randomly - even if they’re showing some symptoms.

Patients need to follow steps prior to arriving at drive-thru testing facilities.

“We don’t want people showing up saying, ‘I just want to know if I’m negative,’” Worcester Director of Public Health Dr. Michael Hirsch said.

The protocols require patients to have symptoms of coronavirus and be in contact with a person who has coronavirus or traveling from a country where the outbreak has reached severe totals. In addition to that, some testing facilities require an appointment and a prescription from a person’s primary care doctor.

Two hospitals in Worcester now offer drive-thru testing. St. Vincent’s Hospital began the testing over the weekend, while UMass Memorial Medical Center started on Wednesday. At UMass, patients also have to have been identified by a UMass physician first.

“I wouldn’t tell any person in Worcester to just drive up and say I need a test,” Hirsch said.

Hirsh said patients must show a fever higher than 100, symptoms of COVID-19 such as a dry cough for chest discomfort and exposure to a person who tested positive or being exposed to travel requirements.

“They don’t have enough tests,” Hirsch said. “They still thus far are essentially rationing them. I'm hoping that that situation will be fixed on a federal level, but for now, we have to be very judicious in who gets the testing and who doesn’t.”

Middleton Family Medicine, a private medical practice in Middleton, offers COVID-19 testing for its patients, but has continually had to remind their patients that tests are only performed after a series of steps.

For Middleton Family Medicine, the entire process occurs outside the office.

When a patient contacts the office, a telemedicine call is set up. Through the practice’s mobile app, they can visit with a patient virtually to examine and diagnose symptoms.

If a doctor believes the symptoms are coronavirus related, a drive-thru test is scheduled, but not for COVID-19 at first.

Dr. Andrew Ting, the Director of Operations for Middleton Family Medicine, said the practice first performs on-site in-car tests for the flu, strep throat and other possible illnesses. The tests are conducted on-site and take about 15 minutes. Depending on those results, the physician will call the patient and advise them on whether a coronavirus test is needed.

“We want to be able to do it in a very controlled environment so people aren’t freaking out but also we try to do assessments, and if appropriate we will do the COVID testing,” Ting said.

A similar protocol is being followed in Cape Cod.

Falmouth Hospital and Cape Cod Hospital are each conducting drive-thru testing, but anyone arriving at the sites without a doctor’s prescription or an appointment will be “turned away without exception.”

“Cape Cod Healthcare is the safety net for the entire community. We are working tirelessly to address the spread of COVID-19, which will require us to come together as a community to break down any possible barriers to care,” President and CEO of Cape Cod Healthcare Michael Lauf said in a statement.

In Boston, Atrius Health has tested 195 people. As of Wednesday, it had the capacity to test 180 per day. By the end of the week, that number could jump to 200 per day according to Sean Barwis, the Director of Urgent Care at Atrius Health.

Still it’s not a true drive thru test. Patients must be triaged for COVID-19 testing then they can schedule an appointment for the in-car testing. 

In Middleton, Ting said in-car testing is conducted by medical staff in full personal protective equipment. Tests are administered every day from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in 15-minute intervals that are by appointment only for the private practice’s patients.

Middleton Family Medicine uses Labcorp to confirm its coronavirus testing. Results normally come back in three to five days depending on where the samples are sent.

Labcorp and Quest are the two national private testing agencies. Hirsch said Quest can take about three days for test results.

On Monday, Gov. Charlie Baker said he would like to see Massachusetts test more. The state laboratory has conducted at least 1,367 tests as of Tuesday. Working with private companies like Labcorp and Quest should bolster the testing rate across the state.

“I think this is going to get better,” Hirsch said. “We’re all unfortunately going to have more and more experience with this. The test kits are going to get faster and their availability is going to get more.”