Drive-through businesses are back in demand due to the coronavirus outbreak. However, the model has been co-opted by necessity for medical and religious purposes.
Following the success of drive-through coronavirus testing in Korea and Germany, Thailand has introduced the concept at home. More and more hospitals are beginning to offer the tests as a way of maintaining social distance and halting foot traffic inside the hospitals.
Vejthani in Bangkok offers the service for 6,500 baht (US$198) for both Thais and foreigners. To qualify for the drive-through test, the person’s body temperature should be around 37.5 Celsius (normal body temperature), its website said.
The person must show no other symptoms such as coughing, runny nose and having difficulty breathing. The person must also have no travel history and no visitation to high-risk places since the outbreak began.
If the person has suspected symptoms, he or she has to undergo the standard test at the hospital which could cost around 10,000 baht ($304) instead.
If the person passed the screening process, the registration process can begin and the person can make payment via cash, credit card, QR code, or Prompt Pay. After the swab test is done, the result will come back around 1-3 days afterward.
At Vibhavadi, the test also costs 6,500 baht and if your result comes out to be positive, the cost for the test will be free.
If positive, Vibhavadi Hospital will alert the Department of Disease Control. If the patient shows no symptoms, he or she will then be sent to Vibharam Chaiprakarn Hospital in Samut Prakan to be monitored for 7 days.
After seven days, if the patient is cleared off infection, he or she will be transferred to Princeton Park Suites Hotel with healthcare being administered by a team of medical staff from Rajavithi Hospital.
Vibhavadi Hospital’s PR team told Thai Enquirer that the service is being offered because there is a demand from people who are worried that they might have infected with the coronavirus but yet to show any symptom.
“The government only allows the test for people who have shown symptoms already so the Drive-Thru service was designed to cater to people who want to know about their status in order to safeguard themselves and to prevent any further spread of the virus.”
The hospital said that they have administered more than 2,256 drive through tests between March 18 and April 5 and the demand for it has been increasing.
Testing in Thailand
According to the Department of Medical Science, there are two types of tests for coronavirus in Thailand, the Real-time RT PCR and the Rapid Test.
For Real-time RT PCR, the service is now available for free at major public hospitals. The process involves a swab that is painful and involves taking samples from the back of the throat. The laboratory cost for the test is around 2,500 baht.
For the Rapid Test, the test involves a blood test and the result can come back in 15 minutes but it can only be done for patients that have been showing symptoms. This is because the test has to wait for the body’s immune system to start building up antibodies against the virus. The laboratory cost for the test kit is around 200-500 baht per unit.
Thai Enquirer has asked the Ministry of Public Health about the number of tests being carried out by the government but has so far not received a reply.
Around the world
Apart from the drive through Covid test, there are also drive-through funeral homes in Spain as the death toll in the country soars. With more than 13,300 deaths, Spain now has the second-largest death toll from the coronavirus pandemic after the US.
Let us hope Thailand does not need to follow this drive-thru trend.
(Photo Credit: Florian Witulski)
