Mokena Medical Group Offering Drive-Up Testing For Coronavirus

MOKENA, IL — Family First Medical Group in Mokena and Evergreen Park is offering drive-up coronavirus testing. The group's website urges patients to call 708-572-7575 to see if they are eligible for testing.

The group has locations at: 10260 W. 191st St., suite 100, in Mokena; and 9730 S. Western Ave., suite 225, in Evergreen Park.

"We will do a phone screening and ask about the person's symptoms and medical history," spokesman Ryan Dawson said. "If we determine that you might a candidate for testing we'll do a quick video visit where we can ask a few more questions. If we think the individual needs a COVID-19 test, we'll schedule an appointment."

When the patient pulls up, they'll be greeted by medical staff in full protective gear. The patient will be asked to roll down their car window and given a mask. A temperature reading will be taken through the ear. Patients will be swabbed for flu, since some symptom of coronavirus mirror influenza. If the test is negative for flu, the patient will tested for coronavirus.

Dawson said it has been a struggle to get the COVID-19 tests, which come from an independent lab on a limited basis, hence the screening process and flu test to rule out influenza.

“We’re not the only ones, Dawson said. “We’re making the most of what we have.”

The Will County Health Department said if you are presenting symptoms, you should not walk into a healthcare facility, urgent care clinic or hospital before calling.

If you do have the symptoms, you are asked to call your medical provider for an exam.

The Will County Health Department has also established a coronavirus hotline for questions, available from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, at 815-740-8977.

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Will County Coronavirus Case Confirmed

Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that include the common cold as well as much more serious diseases. The strain that emerged in China in late 2019, now called SARS-Cov-2, is related to others that have caused serious outbreaks in recent years, including severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). The first confirmed case of COVID-19, the illness caused by SARS-Cov-2, struck the U.S. on Jan. 21.

The disease, which apparently originated in animals, is now being spread from person to person, although the mechanism is not yet fully understood. Its symptoms include fever, coughing and shortness of breath, and many patients develop pneumonia. There is as yet no vaccine against COVID-19 and no antiviral treatment.

According to the CDC, the best way of preventing the disease is to avoid close contact with people who are sick, to avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands, to wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, and to use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol if soap and water are not available.

To avoid spreading any respiratory illness, the CDC recommends staying at home when you are sick, covering your cough or sneeze with a tissue and throwing the tissue in the trash, and cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces.