Corryville drug treatment center testing patients, staff for COVID-19

CINCINNATI (FOX19) - One of the Tri-State’s leading opioid addiction treatment centers is testing everyone who walks through its doors for COVID-19.

The Crossroads Center on Burnet Avenue says, thanks to the Hamilton County Health Department, it now has test kits available to screen patients and staff members for the virus.

The center is a mental health and addiction treatment facility that sees hundreds of patients a day.

CEO Jamahal C. Boyd underwent testing with a nasal swab Tuesday.

“It was very non-invasive and it was quick and over quickly,” he said. “I wouldn’t say that it was something that you want to do, but it’s necessary, and I would do it again.”

Boyd says The Crossroads Center treats around 500 patients a day, some of whom stop in for their daily dose of methadone.

“As a result of the COVID-19 crisis, we’ve reduced the amount of clients coming into the building and we’ve transitioned some of those clients to a 14-day take-home supply for those who are eligible.”

Boyd says if anyone tests positive for the virus, the center has a quarantine area.

“We, with our partnership with the local health department, were able to secure 100 tests,” Boyd explained. “So we’re going to administer those over the next two days and then find out what the results are by the end of the week.”

As for testing the center’s 84 team members, Boyd says he is getting mixed reactions.

“Some are reluctant, some are fearful,” he said. “Some are excited about it, you know, relative to wanting to make sure that we have some level of understanding as to where we are.”

Boyd adds one of the main goals of The Crosswords Center is to help ease the stress of the pandemic through counseling. He says the last thing they want to see is people turning to substance abuse as a way to cope with the social pressures of COVID-19.

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