As the Omicron variant of COVID-19 is again causing spikes across the Mobile area and the state in general, more testing options and treatments are becoming available.
Coast Diagnostics has announced a pop-up, drive-through testing site, which will be available starting Monday, Jan. 3 to Jan. 7 at the soon-to-be Elite Urgent Care at 4682 Airport Boulevard. The site will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.
In addition, USA Health is still offering a drive-through clinic for testing at the Mobile Civic Center, spokeswoman Casandra Andrews confirmed. Andrews said those wishing to be tested will need to make an appointment online and agree to speak to a provider over the phone before showing up.
While tests are available at clinics, urgent cares and physicians’ offices, at-home tests are harder to find. The at-home variety of tests are also less accurate than the PCR tests offered by the clinics, Coast Director of Marketing and Communications Jane Glover said.
The Mobile County Health Department reported a total of 265 new, positive cases on Monday. In addition to the cases, MCHD reported 14 hospitalizations and no deaths on Monday.
Some testing sites in Mobile County are recording a 50-percent positive rate, MCHD Health Officer Dr. Bert Eichold said in a statement. Of the 4,000 people tested by the health department last week, he said, 30 percent were infected with COVID-19 and the majority of those infections were the Omicron variant.
“Omicron is the predominant variant, representing approximately 80 percent of the positive cases,” Eichold said in the statement. “Obviously, Omicron is highly contagious. With this increased community transmission rate, MCHD recommends that anyone over the age of 2 – regardless of their own vaccine status – wear a mask in public, maintain social distancing and frequent washing of hands for the next several weeks. Large gatherings should be avoided.”
In addition to testing, a popular treatment for COVID-19 patients will soon be available after about a week-long pause. The Alabama Department of Public Health announced Monday that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will again be shipping monoclonal antibodies to states. Shipments of the treatment have been on pause since Dec. 23.
While monoclonal antibodies and other therapeutics are available to fight COVID-19, an ADPH statement reminded the public that vaccination remains the best way to prevent the disease.
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