State health labs will be able to test for coronavirus by the end of the week
ATLANTA - Officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced this week states will no longer have to rely on their labs to process and test the COVID-19 virus.
“By the end of the week, the public health labs will be able to test up to 75,000,” said Dr. Nancy Messonier, CDC Director of National Center for Immunization & Respiratory Diseases.
Officials said it took several days to test, process, and diagnose the first two cases in Georgia because those tests had to be sent to the CDC.
“By Friday, we will have the ability to test in our own public health lab which will allow us to turn this around faster,” said Dr. Kathleen Toomey, DPH Commissioner.
States were supposed to be equipped with testing materials more than four weeks ago but the CDC said the initial kits were not reliable.
“We are confident in the kits that are being sent out now,” said Dr. Messonier.
Testing for the virus is similar to the process of testing for the flu by swabbing your nose and throat. The difference is your doctor or health care provider will have to ship the sample to the state health lab.
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