SAN ANTONIO — Testing sites may be open in the San Antonio metro, but that doesn't necessarily mean a majority of residents have been checked for the novel coronavirus. In fact, according to city data, less than 1% of Bexar County's population has gotten tested.
"We want to ramp up and scale up," Metro Health Director Dawn Emerick said in a briefing this week.
So while city leaders vow for more test results in San Antonio – including the announcement of two new drive-thru sites – so does a local veterinarian.
Mina Youssef of Northstar Animal Hospital is now capable of seeing if pets have the coronavirus, using a test created by IDEXX, a veterinary diagnostics company, that was made available just as two cats tested positive with the virus in New York.
"So far we haven't had any cases tested for coronavirus," Youssef said in regards to his kits.
The USDA and the CDC have not recommended routine testing on animals, but Youseff says this isn't routine.
"There has to be a specific criteria for that pet to be tested and the decision has to be made by the veterinarian and the local health authority," he said.
The pet qualifies if they live in a home where a human has tested positive or the pet has started showing COVID-19 symptoms like fever, coughing and shortness of breath.
"It takes one to four days for the results to come back," he added.
If you do want to get this done for your four-legged family member, Youseff says it'll cost you about $210 at his hospital.
But for some animal lovers, the peace of mind would be priceless.