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Comment by MattKelly | Hacker News Reader

Great to see initiatives like this. However, everyone who can should be using a teledoc and getting instructions before visiting a testing site. Otherwise you're putting healthcare providers and patients in danger (a former colleague drove to multiple stations to try to get tested and he interacted with a bunch of HCPs).

Do you mind making it clear in the tool that someone viewing the site should first contact a teledoc?

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I understand that this is how things are now.

But shouldn't an effort be made to make things easier and safer? Imagine a drive-through location with the web address of an intake app over entrance. You do intake with the app in the parking lot and then get cleared to go through. Everything automate and nearly free of human contact.

Apparently not, unfortunately. Each person who gets tested uses up masks, gloves, and other protection equipment that is in short supply. If you think you might have the virus, quarantine yourself or go to a hospital if you need emergency care. Getting tested if you’re healthy won’t change the outcome.

Many jurisdictions (including mine in Calgary) are telling people NOT to visit hospitals. We’re supposed to do the health authority’s online self-assessment and call our local healthcare number to get instructions.

Uh, again,

Sure, we have a shortage. But mask and other equipment production is going to be ramped up shortly. Testing and is going to be the second part of any virus suppression effort.

And yeah, currently, we got nothing. Everyone quarantine, the sick-enough go to the soon-to-be overwhelmed hospitals. But we have to look plausible measures once we have resources, right?

You overestimate how tech savvy the common population is and how much hand holding is actually required to achieve this drive through testing efficiency.

People would get in line with their car to ask the attendant questions or for IT app support. There are language, accessibility/disability, cultural, etc. barriers (to name a few).

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