Covid 19 - Dispatch from Seoul | Testing
Beyond the general usage of the masks, one of the big reasons why South Korea managed to get ahead of the Coronavirus ( 8 new cases today ) is because of its intensive testing from the get-go. South Korean laboratories were amongst the first to create an efficient test for the Covid 19. Then they deployed the test all around the country through free testing sites. All the hospitals became sealed off the general visitors and testing centers were constructed in container buildings in front of them. That allowed the hospitals to stay safe of contaminations. On top of that, a lot of testing centers were deployed in sensitive areas or in front of official government buildings. Then to ensure even more safety, South Korea installed drive through and walk through testing site were people did not have to get out of their car to be tested. All tests are free for locals and foreign nationals and results are available within hours by text message. Here are some of the photos of those testing sites and the people operating them.
A nurse posing in front of a drive through testing center in Downtown Seoul
The drive through testing for Coronavirus is divided in 4 stages and takes about 5 to 10 minutes.
As cases are decreasing, the nurses are often waiting in their suits cars to come through.
The nurses & doctors are in full protective gears during the test.
A test center on the parking lot of the main hospital of the Hanam district of downtown Seoul
An old woman waiting to be tested in front of an hospital in downtown Seoul.
A selective clinic testing center in front of the Yongsan government building
A queue for people waiting to be tested in front of the makeshift testing center of the Yongsan Government building.
All photos by Tim Franco | Available for publication, please get in touch: timfranco@gmail.com