Airport, MUSC Health offer mobile COVID-19 testing site

CHARLESTON, S.C. (Nov. 20, 2020) – The Charleston International Airport and MUSC Health have collaborated to offer a mobile COVID-19 diagnostic testing site. Leaders for the two organizations are urging the community to get tested prior to any travel or holiday gatherings. The site will open on Monday, Nov. 23; Tuesday, Nov. 24; and Wednesday, Nov. 25 from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. The testing site will be located on the 4^th floor of the airport’s Daily Parking Garage, 5500 International Blvd, North Charleston, S.C. 29418.

“At Charleston International Airport, we understand the importance of COVID-19 testing to individual and community health and are thankful for our partnership with MUSC,” said Elliott Summey, airport executive director and CEO. “To be able to offer this critical service to the thousands of airport employees, stakeholders and our community will undoubtedly help stop the spread of COVID-19.”  

MUSC Health offers mobile COVID-19 testing capacity across the state, with this partnership being the latest Charleston-area collaboration to help stop the spread of the virus. This high-sensitivity, nasopharyngeal swab test is available for everyone, including those who are asymptomatic. (MUSC Health saliva testing is available by appointment for some symptomatic patients through musc.care.) No appointment or preregistration is required to access this site. 

At all of MUSC Health’s mobile testing sites, results are typically available within 24 to 48 hours. This is not a “rapid” test process, so individuals should not be tested the day of travel. Individuals are asked to wear a mask, whether experiencing symptoms or not, and to bring a valid picture ID and insurance card (if applicable). Patients under 18 years-old must be accompanied by a legal guardian. As a reminder, if patients have insurance, MUSC Health is required to bill that insurance provider; however, patients will not be responsible for any costs associated with testing per the CARES Act. If patients have deductibles or no insurance, they will not receive a bill. 

“As we continue to fight this virus, especially during the holidays, it’s important that we continue to offer these mobile testing sites. We are grateful to the Charleston International Airport team for partnering with us on this important community service,” said Patrick J. Cawley, M.D., MUSC Health CEO and vice president Medical Affairs, University. “We strongly encourage people who are traveling for Thanksgiving to get tested before they do so; with infection rates and cases climbing all over the country, surveillance testing can help stop the spread, particularly for those who are asymptomatic but still contagious. Testing now can make a significant difference in whether or not our hospitals become overwhelmed in the weeks ahead. A safer Thanksgiving is also about ensuring a safer December holiday season for us all.” 

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About the Charleston International Airport / Charleston County Aviation Authority

Charleston International Airport (CHS) is a joint civil-military airport located in North Charleston, South Carolina. The airport is operated by the Charleston County Aviation Authority under a joint-use agreement with Joint Base Charleston. It is South Carolina's largest and busiest airport. 

The runways at CHS are owned by the U.S. Air Force and Joint Base Charleston and are shared through what is the longest running civilian/military join-use agreement of its kind with the Department of Defense. The airport, located in North Charleston, is approximately 12 miles (19 km) northwest of downtown Charleston. The airport is also home to the Boeing facility that assembles the 787 Dreamliner.

About MUSC

Founded in 1824 in Charleston, MUSC is the oldest medical school in the South as well as the state’s only integrated academic health sciences center with a unique charge to serve the state through education, research and patient care. Each year, MUSC educates and trains more than 3,000 students and nearly 800 residents in six colleges: Dental Medicine, Graduate Studies, Health Professions, Medicine, Nursing and Pharmacy. The state’s leader in obtaining biomedical research funds, in fiscal year 2019, MUSC set a new high, bringing in more than $284 million. For information on academic programs, visit musc.edu.

As the clinical health system of the Medical University of South Carolina, MUSC Health is dedicated to delivering the highest quality patient care available while training generations of competent, compassionate health care providers to serve the people of South Carolina and beyond. Comprising some 1,600 beds, more than 100 outreach sites, the MUSC College of Medicine, the physicians’ practice plan and nearly 325 telehealth locations, MUSC Health owns and operates eight hospitals situated in Charleston, Chester, Florence, Lancaster and Marion counties. In 2020, for the sixth consecutive year, U.S. News & World Report named MUSC Health the No. 1 hospital in South Carolina. To learn more about clinical patient services, visit muschealth.org.

MUSC and its affiliates have collective annual budgets of $3.2 billion. The more than 17,000 MUSC team members include world-class faculty, physicians, specialty providers and scientists who deliver groundbreaking education, research, technology and patient care.