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CVS to offer COVID-19 testing solution for employers, universities

By Catherine Park
Published  June 24, 2020 4:13pm EDT
FOX TV Digital Team

As COVID-19 infection rates rise among the young, older individuals are at risk

Reopenings have sparked a surge in new cases among younger individuals in several states.

CVS Health announced Wednesday that their comprehensive and customizable COVID-19 testing solution, Return Ready, will be made available for employers and universities.

The test will help return employees to worksites and students, faculty and staff to campuses, according to a news release.

It will allow flexible options for on-site testing and/or drive-thru testing at CVS Pharmacy locations and organizations can design a customized testing strategy to meet their unique needs, the news release states.

RELATED: EU considers barring US travelers as it reopens, citing coronavirus response, sources say

The tests are guided by clinical consultation that allows organizations to choose who, how, where, and when to test employees or students. Testing includes:

  • Clinician-informed protocols and guidance for symptom checking and temperature screenings;
  • On-site licensed professionals for COVID-19 testing and support;
  • Turnkey employee and student communications toolkit;
  • Digital tools for test scheduling and sharing of results;
  • Integrated reporting and analytics across testing locations;
  • On-site immunization clinic with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-recommended vaccination services, such as the seasonal flu vaccine; and
  • Access to add-on solutions such as thermal scanners, digital symptom monitoring and contact tracing technology.

"Organizations can rely on our customizable return to worksite and campus solution, which will evolve and adapt to include the latest COVID-19 testing technology and clinical protocols to meet their specific population health management needs," said Troyen Brennan, MD, MPH, Chief Medical Officer and Executive Vice President, CVS Health. "Return Ready is one more way that we're increasing access to COVID-19 testing options whether in the local community at CVS Pharmacy locations or where people work and study."

The testing options also include point-of-care testing with results in a few minutes or third-party lab processed testing with results in a few days. Employers or universities can choose to offer testing on-site – and in a safe testing environment set up by CVS  – or in the local community at one of the CVS Pharmacy drive-thru testing locations – which are anticipated to reach 1,400 sites by the end of the week.

RELATED: Coronavirus cases surging among the young, endangering the elderly

Some organizations with high-density populations working in close proximity that need rapid results may choose on-site, point-of-care testing overseen by licensed CVS Health professionals to receive immediate alerts of positive results for contact tracing, according to a news release. 

Others can opt for lab-processed tests, with results in a few days, conducted either on-site or at a nearby CVS Pharmacy testing location, which enables organizations to test a large number of individuals quickly and/or ensures convenience for those with a distributed workforce.

Those who wish to utilize this test may choose a combination of both testing options, and the testing protocols will vary based on the organization's physical worksite environment and COVID-19 risk and exposure.

Return Ready also includes an analytics dashboard for ongoing oversight and trends across worksite location(s), along with state and federal reporting of test results, as required.

The test is available to U.S. employers and universities, and in addition, CVS Health will implement the solution for its own employees.

For more information on Return Ready, visit https://cvshealth.com/returnready.