From walk-throughs to single-person booths, screening clinics continue to evolve | YTN

[Anchor]
From walk-throughs to single-person booths, screening clinics continue to evolve International news outlets are praising Korea's introduction of the first ever drive-thru screening clinics.

These clinics have sharply reduced the time for testing, resulting in many new, innovative types of temporary clinics.

We will now have Reporter Kim Ji-hwan.

[Reporter]
Here we have a patient and physician divided by a transparent glass wall.

Testing begins after they discuss the patient's symptoms through an intercom.

[On-site at a "walk-through" booth : Do you have a fever? Are you here to get tested? You're a member of Shincheonji Church? (Yes.)]

With drive-thru clinics difficult to build in tight parking lot spaces, one hospital introduced a "walk-through" screening clinic that tests one person at a time.

We have here transparent booths that are two meters tall and 70 centimeters wide.

Thanks to these individual booths, physicians do not need to come in contact and are able to collect samples from the individual.

Including sterilizing times, tests that required 30 minutes have been reduced down to approximately 10 minutes.

It is because these booths are only 1/10 the size of a regular clinic tent.

[Lee Seon-suk / Sillim-dong, Seoul : With the walls blocking you off from other patients, I feel safe. I'm very satisfied with these.]

Another type of booth where the physician isn't required to wear protective suits to collect samples has also been introduced.

The individual goes into a room that is similar to a phone booth and the physician is able to collect samples through the walls.

This negative pressure booth was designed by a doctor in Busan.

Another university hospital has created a system that is similar to an incubator.

Thanks to these booths, physicians do not need to wear protective suits that are difficult to change in and out of, and instead can only wear their scrubs.

Seong Jin / SMG-SNU Boramae Medical Center, Nurse : Changing into level-D protective suits is difficult and time-consuming. Having to constantly change into those takes up a lot of energy. Now the process is very simple.]

These booths will be implemented in clinics, private hospitals, and welfare offices in Seoul, Daegu, and Busan.

As the COVID-19 situation continues, screening clinics are constantly evolving.

This has been Kim Ji-hwan of YTN.

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