UW Medicine ready to test 1,000 people a day for coronavirus. Local cases a ‘priority’
University of Washington Medicine launched a new validated test to detect coronavirus this week that’s expected to increase testing capability locally and across the nation.
UW Medicine is expected to test 1,000 samples for COVID-19 per day starting this week, researchers announced in a press conference on Wednesday.
“The test is currently being run on a daily basis,” said Keith Jerome, researcher with UW Medicine. “The laboratory is now operating 24 hours a day with an approximate throughput of 1,000 samples per day. That is currently adequate to meet the demand, and we have plans to ramp that up to levels substantially beyond that should the demand require it.”
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee announced the state would be lifting restrictions on coronavirus testing on Wednesday. Now, anyone exhibiting mild symptoms can be tested if a medical professional approves it. Previously, only those who were experiencing severe symptoms and had come into contact with someone with COVID-19 could be tested.
“Currently we are accepting specimens from throughout the country and that is largely because we have capacity now relatively to the local demand,” Jerome said. “That is extremely dynamic and that could change at any moment. And our first priority will be patients within the University of Washington Medicine system and local people.”
Researchers reminded people Wednesday that not just anyone can be tested by UW Medicine — it still needs to be ordered by a physician or qualified health care provider.
Researchers at UW Medicine started to develop a test for COVID-19 in January, when transmission to the United States was a low probability, they said.
UW Medicine was given the green light to start using the test Monday morning from the Food and Drug Administration. It takes about eight hours to receive results after starting the test.
“We ran about 200 samples in the first couple of days. It seems to be growing… We do expect the demand to increase,” Jerome said.
Coronavirus is spread through contact between people within six feet of each other, especially through coughing and sneezing that expels respiratory droplets that land in the mouths or noses of people nearby. The CDC says it’s possible to catch the disease COVID-19 by touching something that has the virus on it, and then touching your own face, “but this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads.”
Symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, cough and shortness of breath, which may occur two days to two weeks after exposure.The disease is especially dangerous for the elderly and others with weaker immune systems.
So far, more than 94,000 cases have been reported worldwide, with about 3,200 deaths, the vast majority of them in China. In the U.S.,128 cases have been reported, including 10 deaths in Washington state out of 39 reported cases. In California, the first death was reported Wednesday, with 45 overall cases reported.
This story was originally published March 4, 2020 at 1:59 PM with the headline "UW Medicine ready to test 1,000 people a day for coronavirus. Local cases a ‘priority’."
