You may have to walk through COVID-19 testing portals before re-entering offices, college campuses, and other communal areas. Here's what one could be like.

• A design firm has developed a COVID-19 testing station that allows healthcare workers to stand inside and test people with a protective barrier.
• The units can be placed at the entrance to offices, on college campuses, and other communal areas.
• As reopening phases continue to roll out across the US, testing will be one of the best ways to monitor the spread of the disease.

Many US states are slowly beginning to reopen, with outdoor dining and indoor retail shopping starting back up.

Part of these reopening phases includes eventual office re-entry. Experts say employers will have to implement a number of distancing measures to make employees feel safer in the workplace, like positioning desks further apart and ensuring that the office stays as sanitary as possible.

Some businesses are installing "cleanse portals" that zap away germs using ultraviolet light, as Business Insider's Lisa Eadicicco reported.

Other high-tech solutions, such as CannonDesign's COVID Shield, could make it easier to screen people before entering congregate areas.

Here's how it will work.

CannonDesign's COVID Shield is a testing portal that can be placed at the entrances to offices, on college campuses, and in other communal settings.

The COVID Shield.      CannonDesign

It's a single unit that weighs 185 lbs, but they can be connected to others to form a row of stations, according to the company. You can even opt to outfit the portals with wheels to make it easier to move them around.

A healthcare worker stands inside the box, places their hands through the gloves attached to the station, and is able to test patients with a protective barrier.

The COVID Shield.      CannonDesign

It would reduce the need for personal protective equipment. Medical professionals have been grappling with a shortage of PPE since the onset of the pandemic in the US.

After each person is tested, the stations can be quickly cleaned.

The COVID Shield.      CannonDesign

The company says the unit can withstand years of cleaning cycles.

The exterior panels are also customizable to reflect the branding for companies, colleges, and other communities.

According to Fast Company, costs to license the design plans start at $1,500, and it costs $3,000 to purchase the necessary materials to build.

The COVID Shield.      CannonDesign

When you purchase a license, you receive the drawings, speculations, list of materials, and an instructions guide on how to assemble.

But it only takes two people to assemble the unit in under two hours, according to CannonDesign, meaning the device could be a quick solution to implementing mass testing in congregate areas.

Source: Fast Company