A subsidiary of Alphabet is expanding its free COVID-19 testing sites in partnership with the California Department of Public Heath.
Verily Life Sciences’ testing sites had initially been limited to San Mateo and Santa Clara County residents showing symptoms, but now anyone can get tested for free. It is part of Verily’s efforts to offer testing in 13 different states.
“We are focused on basically improving health care in every way we can,” says Verily’s head of COVID-19 testing and operations John Probst. “We have projects that range from pure science to medical device to implantables, basically just improving patient’s quality of life.”
The data is passed on to state public health officials who then share it with county health departments, with 22 testing facilities in California.
Verily also takes surveys after each test, which found a very positive response after they were able to switch to a different type of swab. Patients across the country have noted that the initial nasopharyngeal swabs were uncomfortable.
“We’ve seen the satisfaction go up significantly for the swabbing,” says Probst.
More information on how to get a test can be found at projectbaseline.com.