Drive-through testing for SARS-CoV-2 in symptomatic health and social care workers and household members: an observational cohort study

TY - JOUR

T1 - Drive-through testing for SARS-CoV-2 in symptomatic health and social care workers and household members

T2 - an observational cohort study

AU - Parcell, Benjamin

AU - Brechin, Kathryn

AU - Allstaff, Sarah

AU - Park , Meg

AU - Third, Wendy

AU - Bean, Susan

AU - Hind, Chris

AU - Farmer, Rajiv

AU - Chalmers, James D.

N1 - Funding Information: Funding JDC is supported by the GSK/British Lung Foundation Chair of Respiratory Research and a Senior Fellowship from the Chief Scientist Office, Scotland. Funding Information: Competing interests JDC declares fees for consultancy and research grants from Astrazeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Chiesi, Glaxosmithkline, Gilead Sciences, Insmed and Zambon outside the submitted work. Publisher Copyright: © Copyright: Copyright 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.

PY - 2020/12/1

Y1 - 2020/12/1

N2 - The requirement for health and social care workers to self-isolate when they or their household contacts develop symptoms consistent with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection can lead to critical staff shortages in the context of a pandemic. In this report, we describe the implementation of a drive-through testing service in a single National Health Service region in Scotland. From 17 March 2020 to 11 April 2020, 1890 SARS-CoV-2 reverse transcription PCR assay (RT-PCR) tests were performed. 22% of tests were positive. Allowing the remaining 78% of staff to return to work within 24 hours was estimated to save over 8000 working days during the peak pandemic period.

AB - The requirement for health and social care workers to self-isolate when they or their household contacts develop symptoms consistent with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection can lead to critical staff shortages in the context of a pandemic. In this report, we describe the implementation of a drive-through testing service in a single National Health Service region in Scotland. From 17 March 2020 to 11 April 2020, 1890 SARS-CoV-2 reverse transcription PCR assay (RT-PCR) tests were performed. 22% of tests were positive. Allowing the remaining 78% of staff to return to work within 24 hours was estimated to save over 8000 working days during the peak pandemic period.

KW - clinical epidemiology

KW - infection control

KW - viral infection

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85091449651

U2 - 10.1136/thoraxjnl-2020-215128

DO - 10.1136/thoraxjnl-2020-215128

M3 - Article

C2 - 32855343

SN - 0040-6376

VL - 75

SP - 1109

EP - 1111

JO - Thorax

JF - Thorax

IS - 12

ER -