Answers to Go
Q. I heard that federal funding for COVID-19 testing has been discontinued. Is that true?
A. Unfortunately, that is true. COVID-19 testing is no longer free in Hays County. However, vaccinations are still free.
As of March 18, 2022, funding for COVID-19 virus testing for uninsured people was discontinued in Hays County. This is because the federal government, specifically Congress, has not funded continued testing. This means that only insured people can be tested without an out-of-pocket charge. The library had a testing kiosk run by Curative, a for-profit company, outside in its parking lot, but it is no longer there. Because of this change from the federal government, and the fact that only insured people would be able to get tested there, the library asked Curative to move its kiosk to a more appropriate place. When this was a service available to all, we were happy to share our parking lot.
So, what options for testing are there for people who are uninsured?
• Order antigen tests from the federal government (Post Office) to be mailed to your home. Order online at https:// www.covid.gov/tests or call 1-800-232-0233.
• For people with symptoms, Communicare may be able to help at 512-268-8900.
•If you have insurance, you may make an appointment at www.curative.com which is located at Goodnight Middle School on Highway 123.
• You may go to any of the pharmacies that provide testing, or your doctor’s office to get tested, but you must pay for the test.
This change in funding does NOT affect the ability for people to get a vaccination, for free — yet. Additional funding for vaccines has not yet been approved by Congress. Walk-in appointments for vaccinations are currently available from 8-11 and 1-4 at the Christus Trinity Clinic located at 401-A Broadway St. in San Marcos. You may also find a place to get a vaccination by visiting www.vaccines. gov . If you don’t have access to the internet, you may call the library at 512-393-8200 for help finding a place to get a vaccination. We encourage you to do it soon, though.
Air quality and air purification is a priority at the library. The new library building has fifteen “state of the art” heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems that clean the air before it returns to the building. This is done by using ultraviolet (UV) lighting to kill the DNA of germs, viruses, mold spores, bacteria, and fungi as they pass through the air handler system. UV lights for HVAC systems are designed to use a particular wavelength of light, 254 nanometers, that is absorbed by the DNA of microorganisms. After exposure to the UV light, the organisms are unable to produce the proteins they need to survive. Although the UV light does not kill the germs immediately, it nullifies their ability to cause harm and shortens their life span considerably. The system in use at the library is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In addition to the HVAC system, the library has five new industrial-sized air filtration units in the areas of the building where people regularly meet.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). Ventilation in buildings. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved April 4, 2022, from https:// www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/ventilation.html
Suzanne Sanders is the columnist for the library. She is the Community Services Manager for the San Marcos Public Library and came from the Austin Public Library in 2015 after having served there as a librarian for over 20 years. She gratefully accepts your questions for this column.
