Good Shepherd pilots drive-through COVID-19 screening

Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital in Barrington is piloting a drive-through process for individuals who have been authorized by their local health department to undergo COVID-19 screening.

"This outpatient screening is only for patients with mild symptoms who do not require hospital evaluation and have obtained a testing authorization number from their local health department," an emailed statement from the hospital said.

"We continue to look for ways to best meet the needs of our community while providing the safest environment for our patients, visitors and team members," the statement said.

The testing started Tuesday and the process is being evaluated for the potential to expand it to other Advocate sites.

People with symptoms such as cough, fever or difficulty breathing, or who believe they have been exposed to COVID-19, should call their physician for guidance, Advocate says.

Once they have an authorization number, the individual can schedule an outpatient test at Good Shepherd's ambulance bay.

"After the test, patients are instructed to self-quarantine at home until their physician communicates the test results," the hospital said.

Advocate did not provide information regarding the number of tests that had been administered.

According to the Lake County Health Department, a person who feels ill with symptoms such as fever, cough or shortness of breath, should call their doctor first.

If the doctor feels the individual should be tested, the doctor contacts the health department's Communicable Disease program. The staff then provides a phone assessment and arranges testing if needed.

Test kits disseminated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have been shared with the Illinois Department of Public Health laboratories, according to the Lake County Health Department.

The health department's community health centers have the appropriate supplies to collect specimens and send them to IDPH for COVID-19 testing.

If approved by the health department, specimens can be collected in outpatient or inpatient health care facilities and sent to the IDPH for testing, according to the health department.