State launches one-stop shop for COVID testing, treatment

The Delaware Division of Public Health on Thursday announced the launch of the COVID-19 test-to-treat program.

The program is aimed at providing convenient testing and treatment options in one location.

Test-to-treat locations are designed to be a “one-stop shop” for individuals seeking diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19 within five days of showing symptoms.

How the program works:

1. If you have symptoms of COVID-19, locate a test-to-treat site in Delaware and follow the facility’s directions for scheduling an appointment or for walk-up patients (where permitted).
2. Once at the site, you will receive a rapid COVID-19 test.
3. If the test is positive for COVID-19, you will meet with an on-site health care provider to discuss treatment options.
4. If you and the health care provider determine one of the available treatments is best for you, you will receive the medication to take home.

Newark Urgent Care, located at 324 E. Main St. in Newark, is the first site to offer the test-to-treat option in Delaware.

As more locations become available, they will be listed on the treatment page of Delaware’s Coronavirus website. The goal is to have at least one location in each county by the end of April.

Newark Urgent Care will accept both walk-in patients and patients who make an appointment online.

Making an online appointment reduces wait times. The facility is open 24 hours a day and anyone who comes in will be evaluated and offered the test-to-treat program if they meet the criteria.

“Reaching out to your personal health care provider or visiting a test-to-treat site as soon as you experience symptoms is important,” said DPH director Dr. Karyl Rattay. “There are two oral medications available to assist in the treatment of COVID-19, but you must take them within five days of your first symptoms.”

Currently, there are five therapies approved by the FDA.

Two medications are pills that can be taken by mouth called oral Antiviral drugs. These medications must be taken within 5 days of symptoms.

• Paxlovid
• Molnupiravir

Two medications require an infusion and are Monoclonal Antibodies and Antiviral medications. These medications must be taken within 7 days of symptoms.

• Remdesivir
• Bebtelovimab

Your doctor will provide the best recommendation for you based on your symptoms, health history, and overall risk of getting a severe COVID-19 infection.

“We have partnered with the State of Delaware in providing more than 45,000 COVID tests since 2020,” said Newark Urgent Care Medical Director Dr. Jack Horowitz. “In 2023, we will mark the 50th anniversary of Newark Urgent Care servicing the community with nearly one million patients seen. We are thrilled to continue and expand our partnership with the state and the community as the first to offer the test-to-treat program in Delaware.”

Charles Megginson

Charlie Megginson covers government and politics for Town Square LIVE News. Reach him at (302) 344-8293 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @cmegginson4.