(Image: CHS)

Waves and ripples of pandemic-related commercial real estate activity in sometimes unlikely places on Capitol Hill have coincided with Seattle’s surges of COVID variants. The latest rapidly arranged testing clinic appears to be preparing to open on E Madison — but not on the medically inclined First Hill. Instead, a new Prudent Medical Clinic is being set up in a former E Madison dry cleaners building where the old drive-thru will become part of a new walk-up testing clinic.

Lines that form at the two other Prudent locations in Federal Way and Renton are cut off at 3 PM and 1 PM respectively, the company says in its recorded message to callers dialing in to inquire about services.

Signage went up early this month at the new E Madison location in the building that has been home to Phillip’s Cleaners, and a menagerie of businesses including Studio Paradiso and the Seattle Metaphysical Library.

There isn’t much information about the clinics on the prudentmedicalprovidersnw.com site but we’ve left a message with Prudent to learn more.

“For those who need rapid Covid test and PCR test, Prudent Medical Clinic is here to help,” a translation of an announcement about the clinic posted to the Korean-language KSeattle web site reads:

We give you both a covid test and a flu test free of charge and give you the result within 15 minutes. You only need to present your driver’s license or passport, and you can apply for an undocumented visa regardless of your nationality.

The addition of a new COVID-related business doesn’t always make news on CHS as a few have come and gone so quickly we never had the time to check in. In December 2020, we reported on this now moved on 15th Ave E clinic that opened for a short time in the space of a longtime consignment shop that had shuttered citing a loss of business due to the pandemic.

Suspicious testing sites have also been an issue with warnings about improper testing practices, incorrect results, questionable billing, and privacy violations. The City of Seattle maintains an active COVID-19 testing site roster of its city-run clinics plus locations operated by partner organizations and providers.

Seattle’s trends look healthier (Source: King County Public Health)

CHS reported here on efforts to ramp up testing in Seattle as the omicron variant has surged here and across the country.

While case transmission in the city remains at the official “high” level, the surge appears to have hit a peak with new reported cases finally on the downswing. Despite the improved forecast for transmission, hospitals and emergency rooms remain under strain from the sick and dying in the latest wave of the virus.

Meanwhile back at 1000 E Madison, the coming soon COVID clinic will also offer a few services so far unseen at the city’s network of sites. For those looking for a boost, the new facility will also boast an Alpha Male “health and testosterone” clinic, according to signage.

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