In-house COVID-19 testing at Sarasota Memorial means quicker results

Sarasota Memorial Hospital has been busy testing their patients for COVID-19 for weeks, and their process just got a lot faster. 

The hospital has switched over to in-house testing, which allows them to get test results back sooner and allocate their resources where needed. 

Before the in-house testing, doctors had to wait anywhere from 24 hours to 10 days to get back the test results from an outside lab to see if their patients tested positive for COVID-19. Now, with the new in-house testing, that wait will only be two hours long. 

The new timeframe is a game-changer for doctors. It allows them to see which of their patients in isolation actually need to be there. It also gives them the ability to conserve personal protective equipment which is hard to come by.

The two-hour wait is also a lot shorter than the previous test-result window which relieves stress for patients and their families as they wait to get news of their diagnosis.

“It makes a huge difference, especially when we can turn it around so quickly," ,” said Harold Vore, the director of laboratory services at SMH."It allows us to conserve personal protective equipment, which is very important right now. It also reduces tremendous amounts of stress on the patient and the staff taking care of the patient. They no longer have to go into isolation if they are negative. It’s a big win for us and a big win for our patients

Because testing supplies are limited, the hospital is only testing about 25 to 30 patients a day. They’re also prioritizing those individuals who may be high risk or in critical condition.

Doctors at the hospital said due to the new, rapid testing, they’ve already been able to move patients out of isolation who they originally thought could have the virus but tested negative for it.

As of Thursday night, Sarasota Memorial said they are currently caring for 32 patients who have tested positive for the virus. Seventeen employees have also tested positive for COVID-19, and one of them is currently hospitalized. 

So far, 13 people have died. However, 64 people have been discharged after beating the virus, and doctors said they expect that number to continue to rise.

The hospital said they will utilize outside testing again if it is needed, but right now, that’s just a fallback option.

If you feel sick:

The Florida Department of Health has opened a COVID-19 Call Center at 1-866-779-6121. Agents will answer questions around the clock. Questions may also be emailed to covid-19@flhealth.gov. Email responses will be sent during call center hours.

LINKFlorida's COVID-19 website

CORONAVIRUS IN FLORIDA: What you need to know

AROUND THE WORLD: CoronavirusNOW.com

Map of known COVID-19 cases:

If you feel sick:

The Florida Department of Health has opened a COVID-19 Call Center at 1-866-779-6121. Agents will answer questions around the clock. Questions may also be emailed to covid-19@flhealth.gov. Email responses will be sent during call center hours.

LINK: Florida's COVID-19 website

CORONAVIRUS IN FLORIDA: What you need to know

AROUND THE WORLD: CoronavirusNOW.com

Map of known COVID-19 cases: