‘The most serious thing that’s ever happened in my lifetime’: Hundreds tested for coronavirus in Brevard County

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — On the same day the county confirmed its first two COVID-19-related deaths, Omni Healthcare tested hundreds of residents after expanding its criteria.

Health care officials said 509 individuals preregistered for testing, and staff moved 50 cars an hour through on Tuesday at testing sites at Omni Healthcare and on Apollo Boulevard, and reducing backed-up lines. It has the ability to test up to 1,000 people per day.

VIDEO: OMNI Healthcare begins testing in Brevard County Company says they can handle up to 1000 tests for the coronavirus a day. WFTV reporter Melonie Holt has the story.

“If I’m a carrier I want to know so I know not to be around (others),” said Anita Bennett Lomax of Melbourne. “We have to be safe with this thing. We don’t know, we just don’t know.”

Related: Omni Healthcare to provide more drive-thru testing in Brevard County

Suntree resident Carol Ellis, 81, got tested as a precaution because she’s had a sore throat, and would rather be safe than sorry.

“This is the most serious thing that’s ever happened in my lifetime,” she said. “Polio is the only I can remember that scared us as much as this has.”

Bill Hutchings, of Melbourne, was one of the hundreds who made an appointment for a drive-thru COVID-19 test at Omni Healthcare.

“We needed a drive-thru and we needed to get this done so, basically, more people know what’s going on.

Omni Healthcare began testing more individuals on Tuesday after expanding from just testing first responders. The site expanded its criteria Tuesday to test:

Now, the following can be tested:

• Health care workers and first responders

• Grocery store employees

• Residents 60 or older

• 45 and older with a chronic illness

• Anyone exhibiting symptoms such as a cough or low-grade fever

Coronavirus In-depth: DeSantis says FL working to expand testing options as Brevard drive-thru opens Hundreds of people lined up to get tested for the coronavirus in Brevard County today as some compared their fear to how they felt about polio as children.

Hundreds of people have preregistered to be tested on Wednesday, and staff is still returning phone calls.

Read: Coronavirus in Central Florida: Here is how to stay informed

“Identifying those of us who are immune and those who are susceptible is critically important,” said Dr. Craig Deligdish, Omni Healthcare chief medical officer and former molecular virologist. " Testing people is the first step."

Deligdish offered some advice on how to stay health.

“I think there are a couple of things that are important: Following the CDC guidelines, staying away from people, wearing masks, limiting exposures if you’re symptomatic but even if you’re not, because all of us or any of us could be infected," he said.

Both Brevard County residents patients who died from COVID-19 were over the age of 75. The county has 95 cases as of Tuesday evening.

Omni Healthcare hopes to be able to start testing patients for immunity to the coronavirus by this Thursday.

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