(SitNews) Ketchikan, Alaska - New testing criteria have been implemented at PeaceHealth Ketchikan Medical Center to provide rapid point-of-care (POC) Covid19 testing. Turn-around time for the tests can be less than an hour if the results are negative for the virus.

Initially the testing will used in the Emergency Department and New Beginnings Birth Center for everyone admitted for inpatient care. More POC testing supplies are expected next week and at that point testing will be offered both in the medical center and in the PeaceHealth Medical Group clinics in Ketchikan and Craig.

“We are excited to begin rapid testing for COVID-19,” said Medical Director Dr. Peter Rice. “It will be the first step to reducing our use of personal protective equipment at the medical center and will help to determine the prevalence of disease in our community.”

The Abbott Labs ID NOW point-of-care tests have turn-around times of under an hour. The test offers high accuracy for negative results; however all positive results require additional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing to confirm results. PCR testing has a two- to four-day average turnaround time through the state and commercial labs being used by PeaceHealth Ketchikan.

In addition to offering point-of-care testing, the latest state testing guidelines recently expanded patient criteria for tested which will also result in additional testing in the community.

Visit www.peacehealth.org/coronavirus to read the latest news related to PeaceHealth Ketchikan, as well as helpful education and prevention resources related to COVID-19.

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.

SitNews ©2020
Stories In The News
Ketchikan, Alaska

Articles & photographs that appear in SitNews are considered protected by copyright and may not be reprinted without written permission from and payment of any required fees to the proper freelance writers and subscription services. E-mail your news & photos to editor@sitnews.us Photographers choosing to submit photographs for publication to SitNews are in doing so granting their permission for publication and for archiving. SitNews does not sell photographs. All requests for purchasing a photograph will be emailed to the photographer.