U of U Hospital sets up ‘screening tent’ to test for COVID-19 without risk to staff or patients in event of outbreak

The University of Utah Hospital in Salt Lake City set up a "negative pressure screening tent" on Saturday, March 7, 2020, to screen for COVID-19 without risk to medical staff or other patients in the event of an outbreak of the virus. Photo: U of U Health/ Facebook

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, March 8, 2020 (Gephardt Daily) — The University of Utah Hospital announced its latest step in providing services to the community in the event of a coronavirus, or COVID-19, outbreak.

“The Governor’s office has requested our community prepare for the possibility of an outbreak of coronavirus,” a U of U Health Insider post on Facebook said Saturday afternoon. “Today at U of U Hospital, we put up our negative pressure Emergency Department screening tent.”

The completed screening tent is shown at the bottom of this story.

If there is an outbreak of the novel coronavirus, patients can be screened in the free-standing facility without the risk of spreading the virus to medical staff or other patients, the post said.

“We will put up more tents in the coming weeks if necessary. This is just one of the ways we’re preparing to care for our community.”

To view a U of U video of Dr. Tom Miller, chief medical officer for University of Utah Health, answering questions about COVID-19, click here.

The University of Utah Hospital in Salt Lake City set up a negative pressure screening tent on Saturday March 7 2020 to screen for COVID 19 without risk to medical staff or other patients in the event of an outbreak of the virus Photo U of U Health Facebook

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