Long queues are seen at hospitals and other centres engaged in carrying out Covid-19 tests. People who come to do either the RT-PCR or the Antigen test, including children, are seen standing in long queues right from early morning. Most of them have come to do the test because they have some symptoms of Covid-19 and hence could be carriers of the virus. It is possible that the nasal and throat swabs are taken in a closed room with very little ventilation. When the patient opens the mouth for the throat swab there is every possibility that the virus is released into the air which can infect others in the room. A private hospital in Vasco has come up with a novel way to address this issue. The nasal and throat swabs are taken in an open environment in the garden of the hospital. With nasal and throat swabs being taken in open spaces within the hospital premises, there is very little possibility of the virus infecting another person waiting in the queue. Other hospitals and Covid-19 testing centres would do well to collect the nasal and throat swabs in open air locations.
