  The COVID-19 pandemic left an unprecedented impact on the general public
health, resulting in thousands of deaths in the US alone. Nationwide testing
plans were initiated to control the spread, with drive-through being the
currently dominant testing approach, which, however, exhausts personal
protective equipment supplies, and is unfriendly to individuals not owning a
vehicle. Walk-up testing booths are a safe alternative, but are too
prohibitively priced on the market to allow for nationwide deployment. In this
paper, we present an accessible, mobile, affordable, and safe version of a
positive-pressure COVID-19 testing booth. The booths are manufactured using
primarily off-the-shelf components from US vendors with minimized
customization. The booths' mobility allows them to be easily transported within
local communities to test a larger subset of the population with fewer
transportation options. Moreover, the final bill of materials does not surpass
USD 3,900, which is about half of the market price. The booths are air
conditioned and HEPA filtered to offer healthcare providers a safe and
comfortable working environment. The prototype passed required pressure and air
exchange tests, and was positively reviewed by two healthcare professionals.
Currently, five booths are deployed and used at the Johns Hopkins University
School of Nursing, Baltimore City Health Department, and two community health
centers in Baltimore. Our design facilitates walk-up testing in the US, as it
decreases PPE consumption; reduces the risk of infection; and is accessible to
lower-income communities and non-drivers.
