Mobile COVID-19 testing service comes right to your doorstep

ORLANDO, Fla. - Nicodemme Jean-Baptiste is logging lots of miles with his business called Convelabs. 

“We give patients the alternative to having their blood drawn from the comfort of their homes instead of showing up to a laboratory,” Jean-Baptiste said. 

He’s driving to patients' homes swabbing for COVID-19. 

The licensed phlebotomist started his business eight years ago doing at-home blood draws. 

He decided to start adding coronavirus testing to his list of services after seeing long lines of people waiting to get tested. 

“I implemented this service so that a patient doesn’t have to do that anymore. I really want to make sure everyone gets serviced and make sure everyone gets done safely in their own home where they feel comfortable and I feel comfortable,” Jean-Baptiste told FOX 35 News.

He says he'll swab most patients on their front doorsteps or in their garage. 

“If they’re in a house, we wear our full PPE (personal protective equipment) - mask, goggles, gloves, sanitize before and after. We’ll collect a sample right there,” Jean-Baptiste said. 

He takes the samples right to the lab as soon as he’s done collecting them. 

His turnaround times have been impressive. 

“So the lab work usually takes 24-48 hours. For the COVID testing, we have been able to get it back in 24 hours,” Jean-Baptiste said.

However, he says COVID-19 test results could take up to 72 hours.   

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, he was servicing 30 clients a month on his own, saying last month he did 60. 

He’s been so busy this month that he hired another phlebotomist to help with his workload. 

“Tomorrow, we have an order of 150 to do. We’ll be able to knock that out because everybody is in the same area,” Jean-Baptiste said. 

His company, Convelabs, bills your insurance for the lab work. 

You have to cover the cost for the front-door service. 

“For COVID testing at your home, it's $100,” Jean-Baptiste said. 

It’s a fee his clients don’t mind paying for convenience and fast results. 

“A lot of patients have even thanked me that this service exists,” he said.