132d Wing Airmen provide COVID-19 screening

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Michael J. Kelly
  • 132d Wing Public Affairs

A team of Airmen from the 132d Medical Group, 132d Force Support Squadron and 132d Security Forces Squadron operated a Joint Mobile Screening Center in Denison, Iowa 11-22 May. The Airmen screened residents in Crawford County for COVID-19 by nasal swab or antibody testing.

“We are mission capable to complete any aspect of those tests and completely portable,” said Lt. Col. Stephen Grant, 132d Medical Group flight surgeon.

Patients show up at a prearranged time with a code. Once the identity is verified, the screening is administered and the swab tagged and bagged with the unique code. When the screenings are completed each day, they are transported by an Iowa Army National Guard mobilization team to Iowa City, Iowa. As of May 14, the team tested approximately 500 Iowans in Crawford County.

“Crawford County is our targeted area,” said Grant. “There is an agricultural business industry in this area which makes it an especially important for us to screen.”

The team will remain in Denison, Iowa testing members of Crawford County until May 22.