Yes, that's what it looks like. It is a “Drive Thru” to detect the Covid-19 virus. Intended exclusively for patients suspected of coronavirus infection and previously referenced by the National Health Service, the entrance will be controlled by the Police and will only work by appointment with the health authorities, with citizens traveling to the location only at the time of their appointment to avoid traffic constraints and crowds of people.
Porto City Council, ARSN, Civil Protection, Municipal Police, Unilabs and several other private companies that provided human and material resources announce, therefore, the opening of the first post of its kind operating in Portugal, from March 18th,
Joint press release from ARS-Norte, Porto City Council and Unilabs Portugal:
As part of the collective effort that Portugal is making to fight the CoVid-19 pandemic, Unilabs Portugal approached the Porto City Council and the North Health Administration to find out about the interest in creating a site dedicated to the harvesting of samples for disease screening, in a pilot model in Portugal.
With the objective of testing patients outside the hospital, in conditions of comfort and collective safety, and alleviating the influx of suspected carriers to hospitals, these three entities managed, in the last 72 hours, to prepare the first screening center for CoVid-19 in “Drive Thru” model assembled in Portugal.
How does this “Drive Thru” work
This model allows patients suspected of infection and PREVIOUSLY REFERENCED BY THE NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE move to the collection point, mounted at Queimódromo, in Porto , without coming into contact with other people, reducing the risk of infection in each collection, even for the professionals involved. The results will then be sent directly to the suspect and public health authorities.
The screening follows the recommendations and specifications for testing CoVid-19, and is coordinated by ARS-Norte.
The system, whose entrances and exits will be controlled by the police, will make it possible to carry out around 400 daily tests in a first phase, and may evolve to close to 700 tests per day. This center will be staffed by General and Family Medicine physicians who will apply an epidemiological and symptomatic survey (RedCap) that assesses the need for testing or other guidance. Only people previously referenced should visit the site, as the system will not allow the execution of ad hoc tests.
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“This measure is part of a set of initiatives that Porto has been taking, which aim to support the national effort to combat the pandemic, in a logic of protection and mitigation of the disease. This model, a pioneer in Portugal, can be replicated in other cities across the country and help save lives and, at the same time, improve the conditions of care for health professionals in a hospital context”, says Rui Moreira, Mayor of Porto.
“The ARS-Norte, with this initiative, helps hospitals to receive only those who really need to be medically supported, protecting patients, hospitals and doctors from additional services that can be provided on an outpatient basis”, says Carlos Nunes, President of the Board of Directors of ARS-Norte.
“Unilabs Portugal hopes to contribute to the region and the country by supporting the implementation of this screening center. All the efforts of our company and our professionals are currently focused on supporting the NHS in this fight, in coordination with local and national health authorities”, says Luis Menezes, CEO of Unilabs Portugal.
WARNING: the CoVid-19 Screening Center in Porto will only work by appointment with the health authorities. All citizens are asked to travel to the location only if they have an appointment for that location and only at the time communicated to them, so as not to create traffic constraints or crowds that could jeopardize its normal functioning and service of suspects or patients.
Razão Automóvel's team will continue online, 24 hours a day, during the COVID-19 outbreak. Follow the recommendations of the General Directorate of Health, avoid unnecessary travel. Together we will be able to overcome this difficult phase.