Photo courtesy of Hudson Regional Hospital
We previously reported that the Riverside Medical Group has started providing Coronavirus testing in Secaucus. Unfortunately, that service was only available to current RMG patients. That meant for most Secaucus residents who may be experiencing symptoms of the disease, they had to find an out-of-town alternative if they wanted to get tested. Well, as of Monday, they can now go to the Hudson Regional Hospital located locally on Meadowlands Parkway instead.
Anyone who wants to get tested at the hospital should start by calling their hotline at 201-388-1097. After an initial phone consultation, a healthcare professional will determine if testing is the proper course of action and set up an appointment time if needed. The testing itself is done in a drive-thru capacity at a designated area in the hospital parking lot. The test involves a nasal swab in the upper reaches of the nasal cavity, and results are typically available within three to five days.
Like with other medical facilities, though, the number of available test kits at HRH are limited. According to Dr. Nizar Kifaieh, President and CEO of the hospital, "Hudson Regional Hospital developed our testing system to assure that the community gets the most benefit from our medical staff and the limited number of testing kits. We will provide regular updates throughout the Covid-19 crisis and we expect to expand and improve this program as instant tests become available in greater quantities."
In addition to testing, the hospital has established procedures to care for any perspective COVID-19 patients at their facilities. Although there are still no confirmed cases of the virus in Secaucus at the time of this writing, Hudson Regional Hospital has taken measures to prevent infection within the hospital such as daily screening for their employees.
