San Antonio Expands COVID-19 Testing to Asymptomatic Individuals
October 6, 2020 - San Antonio
Pictured is a transmission electron microscopic image of an isolate from the first U.S. case of the coronavirus. Photo: Hannah A. Bullock and Azaibi Tamin.
By Valeria Torrealba - Staff Intern, San Antonio Sentinel
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
- Beginning Monday, Oct. 5, the City of San Antonio will expand testing efforts at no-cost testing sites to asymptomatic individuals.
- The COVID-19 testing sites are located at Freeman Coliseum, Cuellar Community Center and Ramirez Community Center.
Beginning Monday, Oct. 5, the City of San Antonio will expand testing efforts at no-cost testing sites to asymptomatic individuals. Asymptomatic individuals show no symptoms of the virus. The COVID-19 testing sites are located at Freeman Coliseum, Cuellar Community Center and Ramirez Community Center.
Monday October 5 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Cuellar Community Center
5626 San Fernando St.
San Antonio, TX 78237
Tuesday, October 6 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Ramirez Community Center
1011 Gillette Blvd.
San Antonio, TX 78219
Wednesday, October 7 from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.
Must schedule an appointment at 830-391-8559
Freeman Coliseum
3201 E. Houston St.
San Antonio, TX 78219
RELATED: Uncharted Territory: Metro Health Expands COVID-19 Testing to Asymptomatic Individuals
In order to receive a COVID-19 exam, residents were previously required to be symptomatic beforehand. Common symptoms of COVID-19 include, but are not limited to: a fever, dry cough, chills and new loss of sense of taste or smell.
Nasal PCR exams will be utilized and free daily testing throughout all sites will begin on Monday, Oct. 12. The expansion comes in partnership between Metro Health, Community Labs and BioBridge Global.
“Throughout this response, our goal has been to make testing more accessible by leveraging partnerships with our community and relying on CDC guidance for testing. Over the past few weeks, we’ve been looking at ways to bring FDA-approved, asymptomatic testing to our City’s test sites and I’m so pleased to partner with Community Labs to make this a reality,” said Assistant City Manager and Interim Metro Health Director Dr. Colleen Bridger.
The City of San Antonio also has an online self-screening tool, accessible here.
After being tested for COVID-19, it remains imperative to:
Assume you are positive for COVID-19 until your test results come back.
Stay at home and isolate yourself from others in your household.
Identify close contacts. This will help with contact tracing. To identify potential contacts, recall where you have been over the last two days.
Monitor your symptoms at least twice a day.
Wash your mask daily. Only touch the ears and the loops, for the outside may be contaminated.
For more information please visit the COVID-19 portal or https://www.communitylabs.org/.
Valeria Torrealba is an opinions columnist and public relations assistant at the University Star, a student publication of Texas State University. Email her at reporter@sasentinel.com.