Exclusive: Inside Eisenhower Health’s coronavirus testing zone

At Eisenhower Health in Rancho Mirage, there were four patients who have tested positive for coronavirus Friday night.

As emergency rooms prepare for more cases, healthcare workers are on the front lines in the fight against the disease.

News Channel 3 got exclusive inside access through the hospital's testing process for the virus.

"We thought that we needed a place that was completely safe for patients to come and get tested and also to separate them," said Dr. Euthym Kontaxis, Eisenhower Health's medical director.

To be tested, you should first call your local health provider or Eisenhower's 24-hour coronavirus hotline at 760-837-8988 or 760-TEST988.

After a phone screening, the process at the hospital begins outside the emergency department.

Patients will be checked in at a tent by a nurse. If they exhibit upper respiratory symptoms, which could be signs of either the flu or coronavirus, they'll be taken to a side door which leads inside to a specialized area cordoned off from the rest of the hospital.

Eisenhower staff built a new wall Thursday to create this section.

In the testing room, there is negative air flow to keep the air from circulating elsewhere in the hospital.

Nurses wear completely protective gear when administering a test. But how does it work?

"It's a pretty invasive process," said Michael Connors, an infection preventionist at Eisenhower Health. "It involves putting a swab very far up into the nasal passages. It's not comfortable. ... We want the people who are symptomatic to be the ones being tested not the worried well."

News Channel 3 has also learned that more screening is going to be available next week for people experiencing symptoms. At the Indio Family Care Center on Oasis Street in Indio, people having symptoms should call ahead: (800) 720-9553.

Desert Oasis Healthcare in Palm Springs will also be offering screenings for their members, who should also call ahead.

You can reach Jake on Twitter, Facebook or email him at jake.ingrassia@kesq.com.