(SitNews) Ketchikan, Alaska - COVID 19 results are now more quickly available at PeaceHealth Ketchikan with the addition of QIAstat-Dx, made by QIAGEN. It provides test results in under two hours.

PeaceHealth Ketchikan has been using an Abbott Labs ID NOW in both in Ketchikan and on Prince of Wales Island.

New COVID 19 testing equipment that can deliver results in under two hours. Photo courtesy PeaceHealth Ketchikan Medical Center

The Abbott Labs equipment is a Point of Care (POC) machine that can be used outside a lab to provide results in under an hour if the test is negative. If a test is positive or unknown, that test was sent to an outside lab for verification, which can take two to four days.

Now PeaceHealth Ketchikan can run the second test on site, in its own lab and have a result quickly with the QIAstat-Dx which tests for Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR).

The machine takes a small DNA sample and amplifies it, so it is large enough to study. With this new equipment, the lab tech goes under the ‘hood’, a device that pushes air flow away from the tech, and adds the sample to a reagent which is then analyzed in the QIAstat-Dx.

Equipment hood. Photo courtesy PeaceHealth Ketchikan Medical Center

A reagent is a substance mixed with a clinical specimen that can then be used in a chemical analysis to measure the reaction.

The second PCR test is done if it’s requested by Public Health, if the person is already a patient or a caregiver, is a symptomatic first responder, a patient to be admitted with COVID symptoms, or is positive on the Abbott.

The QIAstat-Dx can also test for 19 other respiratory diseases.

Recent News:

Rapid testing available at PeaceHealth Ketchikan
SitNews - April 21, 2020

 

Edited By Mary Kauffman, SitNews

Source of News:

PeaceHealth Ketchikan Medical Center
www.peacehealth.org/ketchikan

Representations of fact and opinions in comments posted are solely those of the individual posters and do not represent the opinions of Sitnews.

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