Do-it-yourself COVID-19 test site opens in Cape Coral

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A do-it-yourself COVID-19 test site opened Monday in Cape Coral. (Credit: WINK News)

More convenient COVID-19 testing opened Monday in Cape Coral, and there were no long lines and no one to come into contact with at the site.

One by one, people did their own tests, including Al and Virginia Phelps, who said the process was quick and painless.

“You go up and give them the little slip that you get off of the computer, and they hand you a plastic bag, and you go and swab the inside of your mouth and give it back to them and that’s it,” Virginia explained.

Is this way of testing accurate? Dr. Jeffrey Collins with MD Now said that depends.

“Most of these self-administered tests are antigen tests, their sensitivity rate varies. The trouble with COVID, as you know, is you don’t get symptomatic for somewhere between two and 14 days with an average of five days, and so if you do these tests too early, you miss a lot of people that may actually be starting to get sick because they don’t have enough virus,” Collins said.

Regardless, the doctor said more testing is always better.

The tests in Cape Coral are free and results come back in as little as 24 hours.

The site at 1020 Cultural Park Blvd. is open daily and appointments are encouraged. To make one, click here.

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