SAN ANTONIO — A place known for innovation is once again breaking new ground by keeping employees safe from the coronavirus.
Geekdom is providing free, rapid-result coronavirus tests for people working at its innovation hub downtown. The tests are being offered every seven days, so both employees and those working inside will have that extra measure of security of knowing they are coronavirus free.
"What's great about Geekdom is that they are the only place in town to my knowledge, where, if you're healthy, you can come back to work and get tested," said Robert Miggins, who is the CEO of Go Smart Solar and works out of Geekdom. He was one of the first to get tested on their first day of the new service. "I just think it's really neat that we are finding a way to test healthy people so we can come back to work," Miggins added.
"With a test being every seven days, next week there will be no interruption of their work abilities because they'll work next Monday and they'll get tested next Monday," Charles Woodin, the CEO of Geekdom said.
Each member getting tested fills out a questionnaire on their phone and is asked a few screening questions, then heads back into their testing room for the PCR mid-turbinate nasal swab.
"It takes about 12 to 24 hours so if you get tested today you should have results this evening hopefully, worst-case scenario tomorrow morning first thing so you have knowledge that you can come back and work at next day," Woodin said.
Woodin says the launch of their testing falls in line with their backbone philosophy of collaboration.
"We do look at this initiative being the ability to allow those people to know that the people they are working next to are also safe and secure, coronavirus free, so they can continue to collaborate while still maintaining social distancing," he said.
Wooden says he hopes this pilot program will provide a blueprint that other companies can follow, especially those in the innovation hub of downtown San Antonio.