SUGAR LAND, Texas — A new public coronavirus testing site will open Tuesday at the Smart Financial Centre in Sugar Land.
The big difference with this new site is that everything is done here at the testing site. There's no online pre-screening or code needed.
When you get here, medical professionals will ask a series of questions about things like symptoms and recent travel to determine if a test is needed. And just to manage expectations, these tests are being prioritized for those who are showing symptoms and those who are high risk.
This is the second testing site collaboration from Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee and United Memorial Medical Center. Much like their smaller scaled testing site in Houston, this is drive-thru testing.
The site is open to the public.
You get here, go to the first tent and are screened to determine if your symptoms warrant you being tested. If that's the case, you will advance to the registration tent, then the testing tent.
Most results are available within 4 to 24 hours. This comes as their other site at United Memorial Medical Center Tidwell launches their 46-bed COVID-19 Annex dedicated to caring for coronavirus patients.
And UMMC is also gearing up to start their mobile COVID-19 testing efforts to reach seniors who are unable to leave their homes, due to their increased susceptibility to this virus.
Testing here starts at 10 a.m. and will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the weekdays.
MORE ON COVID-19
Coronavirus symptoms
The symptoms of coronavirus can be similar to the flu or a bad cold. Symptoms include a fever, cough and shortness of breath, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Some patients also have nausea, body aches, headaches and stomach issues. Losing your sense of taste and/or smell can also be an early warning sign.
Most healthy people will have mild symptoms. A study of more than 72,000 patients by the Centers for Disease Control in China showed 80 percent of the cases there were mild.
But infections can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death, according to the World Health Organization. Older people with underlying health conditions are most at risk for becoming seriously ill. However, U.S. experts are seeing a significant number of younger people being hospitalized, including some in ICU.
The CDC believes symptoms may appear anywhere from two to 14 days after being exposed.
Human coronaviruses are usually spread through...
- The air by coughing or sneezing
- Close personal contact, such as touching or shaking hands
- Touching an object or surface with the virus on it, then touching your mouth, nose or eyes before washing your hands.
Help stop the spread of coronavirus
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Eat and sleep separately from your family members
- Use different utensils and dishes
- Cover your cough or sneeze with your arm, not your hand.
- If you use a tissue, throw it in the trash.
- Follow social distancing
Lower your risk
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
- If you are 60 or over and have an underlying health condition such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes or respiratory illnesses like asthma or COPD, the World Health Organization advises you to try to avoid crowds or places where you might interact with people who are sick.
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