SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS RADIO) – The College of San Mateo has launched a testing site called, 'Test-to-Treat,' which would handle both testing and treatment in one place.
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The San Mateo site is one of five in California to have already launched. By the end of this week, those services will expand across the state.
At this new type of site, there are three main services being offered – rapid testing, telehealth prescribing capabilities, and the dispensation of COVID-19 antiviral treatments.
"Over the course of this week, the other sites throughout the county, and throughout the state will be converting to this model," said Director of Health Policy and Planning for San Mateo County, Marc Muelman.
This new format will help "reduce severity of disease and hospitalizations and ultimately deaths," he said.
The move comes as health officials are becoming more aware of just how easily transmissible the new emerging variants are, and testing can help keep people better informed.
Cases in the Bay Area have been on the rise in recent weeks as the new variants continue to spread.
"We are seeing hospitalizations go up now as we've been in this increase, though we aren't anywhere near where we were a few months ago," he said.
This is in part due to the readily available types of treatment options that when administered early on in infection, can make a huge difference.
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