Shawnee County opened a free COVID-19 testing site in April. Here’s how it’s going.

In late April, the Shawnee County Health Department opened a free drive-through COVID-19 testing and vaccination clinic.

The county wanted to retain some level of free testing as the state closed down its own sites as it transitions to endemic response.

Though case numbers are nowhere near the levels seen in January, numbers are rising and Shawnee County has a “high” degree of transmission.

Last week, the health department reported 203 total cases. No new deaths were recorded as of May 23. The state as a whole recorded 375 new cases.

"The relieving aspect of it is that the cases increasing hasn’t hit and added additional burden to the public health system and the health system as a whole," said Craig Barnes, the health department public information officer.

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What does the rise/fall in cases mean for Shawnee County?

KDHE transitioned to an endemic response in April. An endemic state acknowledges the potential long-term presence of a particular virus, such as COVID-19 or the flu.

"Part of being in an endemic response state is just ensuring that the prevention measures are there," said Derik Flerlage, the county’s infectious diseases manager. “It is still a focus of ours to prevent. I mean, COVID is preventable.”

Flerlage and Barnes said people should stay alert during the holiday weekend. Barnes advised people to be aware of what they’re doing and how they’re feeling, as these can be some of the best ways to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

“Just be cognizant of where you’re going,” he said. “If you feel comfortable entering an establishment or an event, then you probably can partake.”

But if you feel sick, Barnes advises you stay home.

Part of the prevention measures in place is testing. This provides an effective monitor of case numbers so that the county can respond appropriately when — or if — needed.

This can include the county offering guidance on when to increase testing capacity if they notice a large increase in case numbers. It can also look like providing out personal protective equipment, which the health department does.

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Drive-through clinic operations see “steady amount of people”

The drive-through clinic has administered 103 tests since it opened on April 26. Of those, 23 have been positive.

“We’ve seen a pretty steady amount of people each testing day,” Flerlage said. “It varies of course, but we’re there as people need it.”

The testing site offers a rapid antigen type test, which allows for quick results. Flerlage says results come in within 15 minutes or less. There is an option to register ahead of time, but it isn't required.

The site, located at 2701 S.W. East Circle Drive, sits near two bus routes and is near a bicycle path. This means that, even though it is a “drive-through” testing facility, residents don't need a car to get tested.

“You can use your bicycle to go through. We can accommodate any mode of transportation to come through,” Barnes said.

Experts say COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective

The first vaccine for COVID-19 was available under emergency-use authorization back in December 2020. The Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine was later approved by the Food and Drug Administration in August 2021.

So far, over 220 million people in America are fully vaccinated, and 258 million have received at least one dose. That leaves roughly 100 million people who still have not gotten their first jab.

Barnes and Flerlage encouraged those hesitant to vaccines to get the shots given the overwhelmingly positive rollout.

“We’ve seen it be effective. We’ve watched it protect people,” Flerlage said. “We’ve seen hospitalizations and the proportion of deaths to the total amount of cases that are happening in some of these spikes. That’s lower than what we had seen for folks when vaccinations weren’t available."

The vaccines also protect against the omicron variants, and the subvariants of that, such as omicron BA2. This is the variant that is circulating in Shawnee County now, Barnes said.

But the vaccine isn't a silver bullet, Flerlage said. Even if vaccinated, there is still a possibility that you may get sick. The symptoms just may not be as severe.

“When we talk to cases that have been vaccinated and they’ve tested positive, maybe they’re not having symptoms or they’re having very limited symptoms,” he said. “We’ll often hear from them, ‘What would it have been like if I didn’t have the vaccine?’”

Severe cases of COVID-19 continue to hit unvaccinated people the hardest.

“It’s not only important to get vaccinated, but then follow through on the second dose and the booster,” Flerlag said.

Alex Edwards is the local politics reporter for the Topeka Capital-Journal. He can be reached via email at aedwards@gannett.com, or via twitter @AMEdwards21.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: With COVID cases high, here’s why Shawnee County has free testing site