Health Notes

Kendra Holmes, right, a doctor with Affinia Healthcare, checks a list on April 2 with Ronnell Bennett, an outreach worker, at a new drive-thru testing center in the Carr Square neighborhood north of downtown St. Louis.

TESTING TIPS

The only thing, it seems, easier to catch than the new coronavirus these days is the fear of it.

As the world continues to study COVID-19, relevant information feels in a state of constant flux. Knowing the symptoms is a good first step, but those can vary, from body aches and general malaise to fever, shortness of breath and a cough.

To help you keep a level head throughout the public health crisis, LN presents the following brief guide to “next steps” when you believe you might have contracted COVID-19:

1. Determine your likelihood of having

contracted COVID-19. Call your local health care provider, or visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Coronavirus Self-Checker at cdc.gov.

2. Follow the local health authority’s

guidance on testing in your area. Visit the Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services’ website at health.mo.gov for the latest information, including a list of sites at which you can be tested.

3. Call ahead to confirm an appointment.

Because testing kits are limited, calling ahead ensures the site has one ready for you to take. Please note, many sites are accepting only patients whose temperature is 100.4 degrees or above.

Currently, patients can expect a turnaround time of up to five days on lab results, though that can fluctuate. The following are current testing sites in the metro area:

Chesterfield:

 Mercy Virtual Care Center (mercyvirtual.net), 636-237-4200, interactive risk assessment, drive-thru  St. Luke’s Desloge Outpatient Center (stlukes-stl.com), 314-966-9107, drive-thru

Hillsboro:

 Mercy Hospital Hillsboro (mercy.net), 314- 251-0500, interactive screening tool, drive-thru

Lake Saint Louis:

 SSM St. Joseph Hospital-Lake Saint Louis, 636-625-5200 By Amanda Dahl | Photo by Christian Gooden/St. Louis Post-Dispatch

St. Louis:

 Affinia Healthcare (affiniahealthcare.org), 314-833-2777, drive-thru and walk-through  BJC HealthCare (bjc.org/coronavirus), 314-747-3000, online risk screening prior to appointment  Mercy Hospital St. Louis (mercy.net), 314- 251-6000, interactive screening tool, drive-thru  Family Care Health Centers (cdc.gov), 314- 531-5444 and 314-353-5190, online self-checker  Mercy Hospital South (mercy.net), 314-525- 1000, interactive screening tool, drive-thru  CareSTL Health (carestlhealth.org/ coronavirus), 314-367-5820, phone assessment, two drive-thru locations  VA St. Louis Health Care System (blogs.va.gov), 314-652-4100, telehealth, assessed at entrance

Ste. Genevieve:

 Ste. Genevieve County Memorial Hospital (stegenevievehospital.org), 573-883-7746, drive-thru ln