FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Several sites in Northwest Arkansas continue to offer covid-19 screening, and some have expanded the criteria for who can be tested for the virus based on a state recommendation.
Dr. Nate Smith, Arkansas health secretary, said Wednesday during his daily news conference that anyone with symptoms of the coronavirus should be tested if supplies are available. Symptoms include fever, shortness of breath and cough, according to the federal Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention.
Screening
Coronavirus screening is available at:
• Walmart/Quest testing site: 9 a.m.-4 p.m., 702 S.W. Eighth St. in Bentonville.
• UAMS digital screening: www.uamshealth.com/healthnow
• UAMS hotline: (800) 632-4502
• Washington Regional hotline: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, (479) 463-2055
• Washington Regional Coronavirus Screening Center: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, 3318 N. North Hills Blvd. in Fayetteville.
• Washington Regional Family Clinic drive-through screening clinic: 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Monday through Friday, 146 Passion Play Road, Suite A in Eureka Springs.
• Arkansas Children’s Hospital hotline for child health: (800) 743-3616
• Mercy Coronavirus Evaluation Site: 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-noon Saturday and Sunday, 2090 S. Promenade Blvd. in Rogers. Patients must call (479) 717-7585 ahead to be screened.
• Community Clinic Siloam Springs Medical: 500 S. Mount Olive St., No. 200 in Siloam Springs. 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
• Community Clinic Rogers Medical: 1233 W. Poplar St. in Rogers. 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
• Elmdale Elementary School Based Health Center: 420 N. West End, Suite B in Springdale. 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
• Community Clinic Fayetteville Medical: 162 W. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Suite 13-14 in Fayetteville. 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
• Community Clinic Springdale Medical and Pediatrics: 614 E. Emma Ave., Suite 300 in Springdale. 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
• Medical Associates of Northwest Arkansas Family Medicine South: 2523 E. Huntsville Road in Fayetteville. 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
• Medical Associates of Northwest Arkansas online screening: mana.md/covid-19-screening/
• Medical Associates of Northwest Arkansas fever hotline: (479) 435-2500
• MedExpress Urgent Care: 1160 S. 40th St. in Springdale. 8 a.m.-8 p.m. daily. Patients must call (479) 750-2971 to make an appointment.
• Northwest Medical Center: 601 S.W. Regional Airport Blvd. in Bentonville. Patients may call (479) 306-7507.
• Northwest Medical Center: 2158 Butterfield Coach Road, Suite 100 in Springdale. Patients may call (479) 306-7507.
• Veterans enrolled in Veterans Affairs health care: may call (800) 691-8387.
Source: NWA Democrat-Gazette
Until this week, most people had to have symptoms coupled with at least one other testing criteria, such as being a health care worker or having a chronic health condition. Screening sites generally collect specimens via nasal or mouth swabs and send them to be tested at commercial labs or the Arkansas Department of Health.
Mercy hospital in Rogers received an estimated 3,500 calls as of Thursday to its call center screening people for the virus, according to Jennifer Cook, spokeswoman.
Mercy began testing anyone with an appointment who has symptoms Thursday and will continue to do so as long as it has the capacity, Cook said. People must call the center before going to Mercy’s test site in Rogers. Mercy collected specimens from 864 people as of Thursday since it opened the site March 20, according to Cook.
Community Clinic, which has five screening sites in Fayetteville, Rogers, Springdale and Siloam Springs, was on track to collect specimens from about 350 people by the end of the day Thursday since opening March 30, according to Abbie Luzius, community development manager for the clinic.
Community Clinic will test anyone with symptoms who is acutely ill while supplies last, Luzius said by phone.
Washington Regional Medical Center had seen 1,889 patients at its Fayetteville screening and respiratory clinics and received 10,623 calls to its screening hot line as of Thursday since March 16, according to Cynthia Crowder, spokeswoman. The medical center doesn’t release how many patients have been tested.
Washington Regional is testing people ages 10 and older who have symptoms, according to Natalie Hardin, spokeswoman.
About 980 people in Benton County and about 450 people in Washington County had been tested for covid-19 as of 1 p.m. Friday, according to the Arkansas Department of Health.
Benton County had 61 cases, and Washington County had 44 cases, according to the department.
