ATLANTA — A small business owner says many of his customers can’t afford to travel to get tested for COVID-19 so he brought the testing them. The owner of the Dixie Hills Shopping Plaza in Northwest Atlanta offered testing in the parking lot for free.
“You can never be too sure.” That’s what Jessica Hughley said after she decided to take the test to see if she had the anitbody for COVID-19. A doctor then told her the results.
“Negative,” Hughley said.
Rodalius Rhymes admits he wouldn’t have been tested here if Dixie Hills Shopping Plaza owner Donnie Hyder hadn’t set up the free testing in his parking lot.
“Naw. I probably would have just waited it out to see if I caught a fever or caught one of the symptoms,” he said.
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Channel 2′s Tom Jones watched several people from the underserved community on Verbena Street get their finger pricked by a certified nurse assistant. A medical doctor then gave them their results within 10 minutes. Organizers say they are providing a valuable service.
“Many of them may never have gotten tested and may never have known their status,” Calvin Vismale said.
It was not the swab test. It’s the blood antibody test.
“We’re testing to see the presence of a specific antibody towards the COVID virus,” Dr. Ana Leon explained.
She says the presence of the antibodies means you’ve had the virus and gotten over it or you could presently be positive for the virus.
Leon says two people tested positive for having the virus in the past. A man who just got out of jail tested positive for an active infection, information he wouldn’t have known if hadn’t stopped by.
Roxie Haynes appreciated organizers setting this up.
“I think it’s awesome they brought it here because we don’t have so many resources for the community here,” Haynes said.
Dixie Hills Plaza organizers hope to raise enough money to do this in other underserved communities. You can go to thelastshallbefirst.com or dixiehillsplaza.com to see how you can help.
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