A Danville health-care center has instituted a drive-through COVID-19 testing program. But individuals need to be pre-screened by the nursing staff to make sure their symptoms warrant being tested for the virus.

Integrity Extended Healthcare began offering the drive-thru tests way back on March 12, according to its Facebook post. To make an appointment for screening, patients who are suffering from fever, shortness of breath, cough, muscle aches, sore throat or runny nose should call the clinic at (606) 303-4389 and select option 0. Because of the high volume of people wanting to be tested for the coronavirus, the recording asks callers to leave a message and phone number and someone from the center would return the call.

Drive-thru testing is also being offered to all high risk individuals such as health-care workers, law enforcement officers, EMS staff and day-care workers. Testing thresholds can be lowered for those workers who are concerned about spreading the virus, according to the post. They are to call the above number, but select option 2 when prompted.

“Most of your health care needs can be met by our telemedicine platform and drive by testing capability,” according to the post. “We can also efax all needed medications to your pharmacy.”

Dr. Pallaki Ravi, a primary care physician at Integrity told The Herald Leader, “The coronavirus thing is kind of a shock to the whole world. It’s a shock to the community and healthcare workers as well.”

He said he developed a point scale screening system that nurses use to total up points and determine if a patient needs to be tested.

“I’m actively changing that every day because I’m finding new things that need to be incorporated into that system” Ravi told the Herald Leader.