Letters to the editor for April 19

Coronavirus drive-thru collection, not testing

I would like to clarify that there is no testing done at the “drive-thru testing” locations for coronavirus. They are “specimen collection” centers worked at by brave and true health care professionals, but testing is not done there. The actual testing is done in a clinical laboratory by medical laboratory professionals. We have college degrees and have covered coursework in chemistry, virology ,infectious disease, hematology, mycology, and parasitology.

When a patient specimen comes into the clinical laboratory, we don’t just “push a button” and the answer comes out. We do use expensive analyzers, but we also do complex manual testing requiring years of experience and practice to perfect.

You may think that to us you are just a swab or venipuncture, but we get specimens from all over the hospital, and community clinics. We communicate regularly on highly technical scientific matters with the state Department of Health and/or the Centers for Disease Control or other reference centers. We would like it if citizens out there know who we are, but that is not why we do what we do. We love science and want to serve the scientific needs of our patients, however they enter the health care system.

If you would like to learn more about Medical Lab Science, visit https://www.ascls.org/what-is-a-medical-laboratory-science-professional

Don’t forget your pet waste bag

We got our rescue dog right before Christmas and have been walking her every day. I’ve noticed recently during our walks that there is more and more waste not being picked up by dog owners. It’s really great seeing more and more people out walking their pets for their own comfort and their pets’ during these trying times, but please be respectful of all of your neighbors and pick up your pet’s waste.

Move courthouse complex to Capital Mall

I have a specific suggestion to provide adequate, safe, and convenient courtroom space. The JCPenney store at the Capital Mall will likely close soon. That would free up approximately 100,000 square feet of space that could be renovated into a courtroom complex. There would be many advantages:

• Low cost.
• Parking is abundant.
• Many choices for lunch, both in and around the mall.
• Something interesting to do when you have an hour delay.
• There are four entrances to the store.
• It is a transit hub now, with frequent service.

How do I know it will close? JCPenney stock closed at 32 cents per share on April 1. The company lost 84 cents per share in the past year. And now we have a recession, and nobody is shopping. I’m just an economist, not a fortune teller, but I think I smell a bankruptcy filing coming soon.

The Plum Street site previously selected was a mistake. That area will be subject to frequent flooding from sea-level rise within a decade or two.

The County Commissioners should be ready to consider this option.