Long lines formed at least two of the four Mission District test sites this morning, but the tests proceeded calmly, if somewhat slowly, as the city embarks on the first of what promises to be many testing campaigns – a key to reopening the city.
The four-day campaign to test some 5,700 residents in one Mission Census tract is the first of its kind, but doctors hope it will be repeated here as well as other places in the city, according to Dr. Diane Havlir, the lead investigator of the UCSF study and chief of the division of HIV, Infectious Diseases and Global Medicine at UCSF/ZSFG. Havlir and others briefed the press at 11 a .m. this morning.
Havlir said researchers hope to do “repeat testing as the shelter in place restrictions are peeled away.” She added that she and others were advocating for wider testing throughout the city.
Dr. Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, the vice dean for the Population and Health Equity and Chair of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at UCSF, said they would especially like to see testing in communities disproportionately affected including Latinos, blacks and the unsheltered and vulnerable populations.
Earlier today, Kimberly, a local resident, reported from her line at Garfield Park. “We’re still in the same spot of the line and we were scheduled at 9:30 but I don’t see people complaining,” she said after 10 a.m. Instead, she said, people are talking to one another and “staring into the park seeing what the volunteers are doing.”
A long line also formed outside of Parque Niños Unidos by 10 a.m., but again, those who waited appeared unconcerned about the time.
Residents are taking two tests – one to see if they have COVID-19 and a second to see if they have antibodies indicating they have already had – and survived – COVID-19. While the latter does not necessarily indicate immunity, it could be a marker and the information also tells researchers how many people in the community have already been exposed to the virus. The second test, Havlir said, was made by Abbott Laboratories. She said she was confident about its efficacy.
Although Mission Local heard from one participant that a resident without an appointment at Garfield was turned away today and told to register at home, the researchers said that was an anomaly. They stressed that if a resident cannot register online, they can register at one of the four sites and will be given an appointment. Online registration is here.
The press briefing was a call for participation. Jon Jacobo, from the Latino Task Force for Covid-19, and chair of the UCSF study group, estimated that so far, well over 2,000 people had registered. Researchers would like to see more than 5000 residents take the tests.
Another resident at Garfield Park said that as they reached the front, they were screened for symptoms and asked whether they had registered for the test.
Once tested, the resident said, he was told that they would get “Results in 72 hours — if you are positive they contact you. If not they provided a web link and assured results were confidential and the test was free.”
The tests are taking place from today through the 28th at Flynn Elementary School, Parque Niños Unidos, Cesar Chavez Elementary School and Garfield Park. Here is a map of the locations.
At the press briefing today, researchers described how the idea for the test came about. Doctors at ZSFG were seeing an unusual number of COVID-19 patients who were Latino – 70 to 80 percent when Latinos generally make up 30 percent of the patients at the hospital.
They contracted District Supervisor Hillary Ronen, who quickly got on board and enlisted the help of community volunteers and the Latino Task Force for Covid19. Within days, community volunteers were on the streets, going door to door, to encourage participation and answer questions.
Within 48 hours, the doctors said, they had a plan. “It was like flying a plane and building it at the same time,” said Jacobo.
We’re able to do this because of the generosity of our readers – thank you. If you come here regularly and haven’t yet chipped in – there’s no time like now.
Flynn Elementary testing site for Covid-19. Photo by Lola M. Chavez
Garfield Park testing site.
A pinprick and the serology test is a wrap. Photo by George Lipp who is also being tested.
Page 1 of what participants in today’s testing were given.
Page 2 of what participants were given as they left the testing area.
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April 26, 2020 at 03:03AM
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Mission residents gather for free COVID-19 testing — a scene that will likely become more common - Mission Local
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