Over 1,000 tested for COVID-19 at drive-thru test site
JACKSON, Tenn. — Members with the Jackson-Madison County Regional Health Department and West Tennessee Healthcare were all suited up and swabbing for COVID-19 at the Jackson Fairgrounds drive-thru testing site on Sunday.
As of 8:15 a.m., people were already lined up waiting to be tested.
“The two days are going great. Yesterday was a beautiful day. We did 875 tests. We had 875 people come through our drive-thru testing site,” Jackson-Madison County Regional Health Department Director Kim Tedford said.
“I don’t feel like we have it, but they say that it is a possibility that you can have it and not know it,” said Roger Fowler, who got tested.
People share what it’s like to be tested for the coronavirus.
“It was a little strange. They did the sample of my nose and all they did was have you blow your nose and not wipe and then stick this thing up your nose for 10 seconds,” Fowler said.
“It tickled okay, but otherwise it was painless,” said Jimbo Webb, who also got tested.
“It was a little uncomfortable, but not bad. More of a tickling sensation than anything. I was just wondering about being exposed to it and checked. I don’t feel bad at all,” said Jerry Priddy, who was tested for the virus.
“Because I get in the public quite a bit. I want to make sure they are safe too,” Fowler said.
“Our mission was to get as many people tested across the state as possible in the next three weekends, counting this weekend, and so we’ve done our part here in Madison County I feel like,” Tedford said.
People who have symptoms will be required to self-isolate at home for 14 days or until they get a negative test result.
People who don’t have symptoms will be asked to self-monitor, which means to check your temperature two times a day and look for any signs or symptoms of the virus. Participants who do not have symptoms will not be instructed to self-isolate.
“All specimens from yesterday’s testing were driven to Quest Diagnostics [in] Atlanta, Georgia, and they arrived on the ground at the testing facility at 2:30 a.m. this morning,” Tedford said.
“I think everybody should get tested. That way you have at least a baseline to know if you have it because this virus is so bad that people just don’t know if they have it,” Fowler said.
“I just want everyone to know that you will be called. Whether it’s positive or negative, you will be getting a result, a phone call from somebody from the Jackson-Madison County Regional Health Department,” Tedford said.
Health officials say 519 people were tested for COVID-19 on Sunday. That raises the total number of people tested this weekend to 1,394.
