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Sentara launches COVID-19 in-house screening; test result wait times to decrease

It can sometimes take up to two weeks to get results back for a coronavirus test. Thanks to a newly-built lab, Sentara can start issuing results within a few days.

NORFOLK, Va. — Sentara Healthcare officials announced Monday that they started their own in-house testing at a new lab at Sentara Norfolk General. This comes after Sentara closed its drive-thru clinic last week because of delays with getting results back from commercial laboratories.  

In-house testing expands the availability of testing and shortens wait times for results.

“From a clinical perspective, it’s important to have those results for our providers who are treating our patients, but for the patient themselves it’s just like any other diagnosis -- you want to know as quickly as you can on what is really going on if you are positive or not,” explained Healthcare Director of Laboratory Services Eric Young.

The initiative will allow Sentara Laboratory Services to expand patient testing within all Sentara hospitals across Virginia and North Carolina. The goal is to test about 1,000 people a day and results are expected to come back within 24 to 48 hours.

Young said it took about a month to get everything up and running with the in-house lab.

“We have about eight folks who work in this particular lab and they are the ones who designed our new space, got everything up and running and got the workflow going," Young said.

Young said while he hopes social distancing flattens the curve, he said officials need to be prepared for increased testing.

“We anticipate we may have the need to do thousands of tests a day and that is something we are trying to get prepared for so that we can meet the needs. Hopefully, we don’t but if that comes, then we are trying to be ready,” Young explained.

To get tested for COVID-19, you need to have two out of three symptoms including cough, fever or shortness of breath. He said it’s important that you don’t show up to the hospital. You need to contact your healthcare provider first.  

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