- Title: Drive-through tests for Parisians suspected to have coronavirus
- Date: 24th March 2020
- Summary: NEUILLY-SUR-SEINE, FRANCE (MARCH 24, 2020) (REUTERS) CAR DRIVING TOWARDS DRIVE-THROUGH CORONAVIRUS TEST LABORATORY TOOLS FOR TEST IN BAG BEING TAKEN WOMAN HAVING SWAB SAMPLE TAKEN FROM NOSE SAMPLE BEING PUT INTO PLASTIC BAG (SOUNDBITE) (French) CLINICAL PATHOLOGIST AT LABORATOIRE BIOGROUP, CAROLINE GUTSMUTH, SAYING: "Everything is recorded beforehand, there's no contact, there's no exchanging of papers, and finally, when they arrive, everything is prepared. They lower their window, we do the swab, and we just check their identities. That takes a few seconds, less than a minute. So we avoid contact, and that allows us to protect ourselves." ONE OF TWO LAYERS OF GLOVES BEING TAKEN OFF AFTER EACH TEST CAR DRIVING IN, STAFF TALKING TO DRIVER LAB WORKER'S SHOES WRAPPED PATHOLOGIST TAKING SWAB SAMPLE, PLACING IN TEST TUBE PATHOLOGIST PUTTING SAMPLE IN PLASTIC BAG VARIOUS OF PATIENT SUSPECTED TO HAVE CORONAVIRUS, HERVE, BEING TESTED TEST SAMPLE IN TUBE (SOUNDBITE) (French) SUSPECTED CORONAVIRUS PATIENT, HERVE, SAYING: "I'm someone at risk. I had some symptoms, and I need to know if I'm positive. It's absolutely impossible in the hospitals to take the test, unless you work there or unless you are extremely sick." PERSONNEL DISINFECTING HANDS TEST SAMPLES (SOUNDBITE) (French) SUSPECTED CORONAVIRUS PATIENT, HERVE, SAYING: "Yes, I'm a bit worried, because my wife is a nurse. She's in contact with cases that are positive, that are contaminated. Also, I take care of my mother who is very old, so I need to know if I am positive or not." HERVE DRIVING AWAY VARIOUS OF MAN BEING TESTED VARIOUS OF RECEPTIONISTS IN LABORATORY CENTRE SPEAKING ON PHONE
- Embargoed: 7th April 2020 14:33
- Keywords: France Paris coronavirus outbreak drive-thru tests patients testing
- Location: NEUILLY-SUR-SEINE, FRANCE
- City: NEUILLY-SUR-SEINE, FRANCE
- Country: France
- Topics: Health/Medicine
- Reuters ID: LVA001C6EVY2V
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: A pathology laboratory west of Paris on Tuesday (March 24) conducted drive-through tests for people suspected to have coronavirus, as fears mount during the outbreak.
France now has nearly 20,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus, and the death toll stands at around 860. Two in every five of the country's 5,000 intensive care beds are already occupied by coronavirus patients.
Caroline Gutsmuth, clinical pathologist at Laboratoire Biogroup, said their operation started four days ago and they have seen at least 30 people driving through each day.
To keep the tests for people who really need them, the facility only accepts those who have prescriptions from doctors and patients have to call to schedule an appointment.
From the samples they have tested, about 60-70 percent tested positive, Gutsmuth said.
She added that she and her colleagues wear double layers of gloves, the top layer of which is removed after conducting a swab. They also wear protective clothes, goggles and masks.
Herve, whose wife works as a nurse in contact with coronavirus patients, said he has developed a sore throat and called his doctor to take a test. The results are expected to arrive within 24 hours.
(Production: Yiming Woo) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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