Georgia Army National Guard tests nearly 400 people in Baldwin County

MILLEDGEVILLE, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — Around 30 soldiers from the local National Guard tested nearly 400 people for COVID-19 at Central State Hospital and the Georgia Military Veterans Home in Milledgeville.

Testing began around 9 a.m. Tuesday morning and lasted about three hours. Each kit included a test tube and a test swab.

Winston Rouse — a combat medic with the 148th Brigade Support Battalion — says the test can be uncomfortable for most.

“There’s a tip that goes into your nose like a flu swab. It goes into your nose and back into your membrane. We collect the specimens and then we put it in the tube,” explained Rouse.

Afterward, the specimens are shipped to a testing site at Augusta University.

Test Results

Rouse says the following about the tests:

• It takes up 20 seconds to perform the test
• Another minute for medial experts to explain to the patient what took place
• Rouse says the time it takes to get the results back varies

The soldiers say they don’t know how long they will be testing, but they are there as long as needed. They will also continue testing at the same locations on Wednesday morning.