The Desert AIDS Project opens triage clinic to tackle coronavirus pandemic

As concerns rise, the Desert AIDS Project has responded. The health center is converting one of their clinics into a coronavirus triage clinic, which opened to the public on Monday.   

Dr. Christopher Foltz, an infectious disease physician at Desert AIDS Project took News Channel 3 around their new transformed triage clinic that has nine exam rooms.

"We have minimized as much stuff out of these rooms as possible to prevent contamination of any of our employees and other patients," said Foltz.

The clinic also includes a rapid lab.

"This room will still allow us some rapid diagnostic while we are not able to do rapid diagnostic for coronavirus at this time," said Foltz. "We can still test for other respiratory diseases like flu, strep throat."  

Dr. Foltz and six of his clinical staff practice CDC protocol after screening a patient.

"We can not test everybody," said Foltz. "I want to be very clear. We will not be testing people who do not have symptoms or people who have mild symptoms or anyone that we recommend to stay home." 

Dr.Foltz said they will only be testing high risk patients.

 "People would are over 60, people with chronic heart, lung, liver disease, diabetes and the people living with HIV," said Foltz.

Clinical staff members tell News Channel 3 patients that are being screened and tested at the triage clinic have a separate exit door so they don't come in contact with healthy patients that are at the DAP.

“This clinic is built for anybody who’s symptoms match the need for screenings and testing and people can find more about that by calling our information line if somebody is not registered as a patient today at DAP they can attend our clinic," said David Brinkman, CEO of Desert AIDS Project.

Desert AIDS Project hotline number is 760-992-0407.

For more information on the clinic. Click here.