A Burr Ridge medical company specializing in infectious diseases is offering drive-up testing for the coronavirus from a tent set up outside its offices near the Burr Ridge Village Center.
Metro Infectious Disease Consultants, at 901 McClintock Drive, on Monday started testing people who have been screened and determined to have symptoms that could indicate they are infected with COVID-19. Testing will occur from 9 a.m. to noon Monday through Friday.
Dr. Russell Petrak, a member of the Metro Infectious Disease practice and a Burr Ridge resident, said they took 13 oral samples and sent them to Quest Diagnostics for testing. The results should be available in one to two days, depending on how many samples Quest received at that time. Quest is providing the test kits, Petrak said.
The Metro staff will take a nasal swab or an oral swab, depending on what coronavirus test they have available that day.
“We continue to order them on a daily basis,” Petrak said.
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People who have symptoms, such as shortness of breath, a fever or cough, should call Metro Infectious Disease at (630) 655-8032 or (630) 654-4201 to find out if they qualify for a test. A person could also call their doctor who would evaluate whether they meet the criteria for testing. Individuals should not go to the tent in Burr Ridge without being screened over the phone and having a medical professional recommend they go.
“You cannot be tested until you first call in and qualify for a test,” Burr Ridge Mayor Gary Grasso stated in a message to residents. “We are encouraging people to be tested if they have symptoms.”
Temporary testing locations, such as the tent in Burr Ridge, help ease the burden on hospitals, Grasso said. While there is no cure for the virus, if a person knows he or she is infected, that should convince them to quarantine at home, Grasso said.
The Centers for Disease Control also has an online screening checklist.
According to its website, Metro Infectious Disease Consultants has more than 100 physicians working across the county. They treat pneumonia and a variety of infections including in patients’ bones, bloodstream, skin and soft tissues and heart valves, Petrak said.
The company has 12 offices in Illinois, but is operating a temporary coronavirus testing site only outside its Burr Ridge headquarters because that is where the most employees are available to staff it, Petrak said.
Separately, several Burr Ridge doctors have volunteered to make house calls to senior residents who have mobility or transportation problems and do not have a doctor they consult.
“If you are a patient of a doctor or medical practice, call them first and rely on their care and instructions,” Grasso advised the community on the village website. If a resident has no doctor, the doctors who have volunteered may be able to perform a wellness check on them at no charge, Grasso said. They will not diagnose or test for COVID-19.
Burr Ridge has many residents with professional experience relevant to responding to the coronavirus crisis, Grasso said.
“We are trying to put that expertise to good use here,” Grasso said.
For more information, look at the Burr Ridge website.