NEW ORLEANS — Local health care workers have a new tool in their fight to stop the spread of coronavirus: test kits.

“We are very excited about this now,” says Dr. Rachel, WGNO’s Teaching Doctor. “In the City of New Orleans, we can now test people who have a high fever and cough–and [who are] testing negative for the flu.”

Dr. Rachel showed off one of the kits to Good Morning New Orleans anchor Sefenech Henok. It includes a swab and a medium to transport the sample to a testing location.

“So, what you do is, you just use the swab,” Dr. Rachel said as she demonstrated how to use the kit. “It goes up into the nasal-pharyngeal area, which is not comfortable.”

“Up your nose,” observed Sefenech.

“Up your nose, literally,” Dr. Rachel responded.

Dr. Rachel said a patient would be quarantined while waiting for the test results as a safety precaution. Then, depending on the results, the patient’s doctor would take the next appropriate steps.

She also reiterated that not everyone with a cough and a fever would get tested for coronavirus. They would also have to meet other conditions, such as being elderly, immunocompromised, pregnant, having just returned from a part of the world with an outbreak, or having been in contact with someone with coronavirus.