Yeungnam Univ J Med.  2020 Oct;37(4):349-355. 10.12701/yujm.2020.00640.

Yeungnam University type drive-through (YU-Thru) coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) screening system: a rapid and safe screening system

• Seo WS
• Kim SH
• Song SY
• Hur J
• Lee J
• Choi S
• Lee Y
• Bai DS

• KMID: 2508184
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.12701/yujm.2020.00640

Abstract

Active and prompt scale-up screening tests are essential to efficiently control the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak. The goal of this work was to identify shortcomings in the conventional screening system (CSS) implemented in the beginning of the outbreak. To overcome these shortcomings, we then introduced a novel, independently developed system called the Yeungnam University type drive-through (YU-Thru), and distributed it nationwide in Korea. This system is similar to the drive-throughs utilized by fast food restaurants. YU-Thru system has shortened the time taken to test a single person to 2–4 minutes, by completely eliminating the time required to clean and ventilate the specimen collection room. This time requirement was a major drawback of the CSS. YU-Thru system also reduced the risk of subjects and medical staff infecting one another by using a separate and closed examination system. On average, 50 to 60 tests were conducted per day when using the CSS, while now up to 350 tests per day are conducted with the YU-Thru system. We believe that the YU-Thru system has made an important contribution to the rapid detection of COVID-19 in Daegu, South Korea. Here, we will describe the YU-Thru system in detail so that other countries experiencing COVID-19 outbreaks can take advantage of this system.

Keyword

Conventional screening system; COVID-19; Rapid screening system; YU-Thru system

Figure

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  Fig. 1. (A) Aerial photography of the Yeungnam University type drive-through (YU-Thru) system. (B) Four steps of the YU-Thru system; ① registration, ② medical examination, ③ payment, and ④ specimen collection.

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  Fig. 2. Step 1. (A) Identification (ID) card scanner (description in Korean: “Please insert the ID card with photo-side up.”). (B) A scanned image of the ID card on a computer monitor. (C) A noncontact forehead thermometer was used to measure an individuals’ body temperature.

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  Fig. 3. A two-way microphone is used during communication between an individual and a doctor. The doctor and individual view one another through the window and talk via the microphone.

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  Fig. 4. Payment using a credit card.

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  Fig. 5. Throat swab procedure.

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  Fig. 6. A comparison of the number of tests achieved using the conventional screening system and the Yeungnam University type drive-through (YU-Thru) system. Red, the number of tests using the conventional screening system; blue, the number of tests using the YU-Thru system; black, the number of newly confirmed cases in Daegu, South Korea. COVID-19, coronavirus disease 2019.

Reference

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