Rating: 2
Hi, I work in an industry where you are often required to get a Covid Rapid Antigen the day before work. DOCS Urgent Care is one of the few places offering this test to asymptomatic people, and it is featured in New Haven’s list of locations offering testing. In late September, I went in for my test at their facility in East Haven and, after being so careful for months, I was terrified. After the test, I put the experience to the back of my head until a neighbor told me he too was at a DOCS Urgent Care for a test and ended up leaving because he did not feel safe. As cases are now surging once again, I feel I must share my experience. When I was there in September, we stood in line, inside for over 20 minutes waiting to sign up to be tested. The entrance is a very small area and does not allow the space for social distancing especially when family units come in to wait. There is no staff at the door ensuring there is social distancing or mask wearing. They have a website offering to pre-register, but I was told to just go in because they are not accepting appointments due to demand. After checking in, we were allowed to wait in our car for the appointment, however, many did not. There were not six feet between people as there was not room. There was no ventilation from what I could see. The door was closed. People around me were discussing how they had been in contact with sick people. Some people were coughing and looked ill. Individuals near me line were wearing ineffective masks like gators, and one was even using a sweatshirt tied around his face. Even if you wait in your car, once your number is up, you must squeeze around people to get into the waiting room where most seats are full and there is no way to maintain 6 feet from anyone. There were many patients waiting inside the facility who were in an older age bracket. It took me three hours to get my test. Since time is a factor in spreading the virus, people waiting inside are seriously at risk. Additionally, the urgent care employees checking patients in were separated only by a small piece of plexiglass, putting them at the greatest risk. Although most people in line were there for a covid test, some patients might not even be aware that they offer a rapid test, and do not realize they could potentially be waiting near someone who is symptomatic for covid-19. As cases rise in our state once again, indoor testing sites like these could very well become vectors for the spread of COVID19. At these locations, there are healthy people waiting in line for tests mandated by their work places, as well as people waiting for medical care completely unrelated to COVID19. At the same time, people who are sick are also in that same line possibly spreading the virus. In the height of our outbreak earlier in year, I don’t think sites like these existed yet. At the very minimum indoor sites like these should be required to separate those with symptoms, or contact with sick people, from asymptomatic individuals. Since these facilities are indoors they should also be enforcing social distancing and mask wearing amongst patients. Thank you for your help in ensuring these facilities are safe for the community. Thank you, M
