OGDEN — Hundreds of people lined up outside an Ogden elementary school to get a COVID-19 test, which was far more than healthcare workers expected.
Bart Spencer probably never thought he’d have to go back to elementary school, especially on a Saturday.
“Never in my life,” he said with a laugh.
Then again, he and his wife only did it because they wanted to know.
“We just want to make sure we’re okay,” said Sandra Spencer.
It has been tougher for people without COVID-19 symptoms to get a test. So, when the Spencers found out Intermountain Healthcare’s mobile testing unit was going to be in Ogden, they decided to go.
“We just thought we needed to come and get tested to be safe around our family,” said Sandra Spencer.
Their family has been a little hesitant.
“For the first few months of it, our kids wouldn’t come see us, our grandkids. Nobody wanted to be the ones who killed grandma,” she said with a laugh.
They weren’t the only ones looking to get tested.
A long line snaked around Odyssey Elementary School. There was even a line on the roads for those who wanted to stay in their cars.
“We expected a lot, but I think it’s far more than we expected compared to some of the other mobile events we have done,” said Lisa Hawley, the supervisor of the mobile COVID unit.
The testing was open from 10 a.m.—2 p.m on Saturday.
In that time, 546 people were tested.
“I think part of it is the holidays that’s coming up,” said Hawley. “Part of it is our numbers are increasing. Schools are shutting down because lots of students are getting it. I think people are taking it serious and people are getting tested to find out if they’re safe to be around others or not.”
Those who were tested won’t receive their results for 2-3 days. But, at least for now, the people who waited in line will have an answer.
“We know people that have had it and not been sick, and we know ones that have been in intensive care for a month,” said Sandra Spencer. “It’s a real thing. People don’t seem to realize that, I think.”
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