Northwest Laboratory to start offering coronavirus tests to Whatcom pre-op patients
In a sign that testing for COVID-19 is increasing in Whatcom County, Northwest Laboratory said it will open drive-through testing for those receiving a medical procedure.
The pre-op screening must be ordered by patients’ doctors, Jenny Bull, chief operating officer for Northwest Laboratory, told The Bellingham Herald.
The tests will be for people who don’t have symptoms of COVID-19. They’re intended to ensure that patients aren’t infected with the virus prior to going into their doctor’s office, increasing safety for patients and medical staff, according to Bull.
“At some point, we have to be able to go back to whatever this new normal looks like for our community,” Bull said.
The service will begin Monday, April 20, at Northwest Laboratory at 3548 Meridian St. in Bellingham. To start, a total of 24 tests will be conducted during a four-hour period but that number is expected to double with greater demand.
“Based on the number of inquires, we anticipate we’ll be busy,” Bull said. “We’re excited. It makes sense to us.”
Northwest Laboratory also wants to open up testing to the wider community, once it has launched testing to screen pre-op patients and helped support the Whatcom County Health Department with its testing efforts.
“Our hope is to expand this and open it up for all patients, all people in the community,” Bull said.
Right now, the lab is focusing on where the need is and making sure to address those needs first, she added.
This story was originally published April 17, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
