March 4, 2021
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center Clinical Laboratories have processed more than 500,000 COVID-19 tests since the start of the pandemic in Ohio in March 2020.
The Clinical Laboratory primarily processes PCR tests, which are designed to detect the SARS-CoV-2 virus in samples taken from nasal swabs. PCR tests can detect very small amounts of virus and the tests are incredibly specific for COVID-19 versus other coronavirus.
“Our Clinical Laboratory team has been working around the clock every day of the week to ensure COVID-19 test results are available in a timely manner to clinicians and patients,” said Dr. JoAnna Williams, medical director of Clinical Laboratories. “We work closely with COVID-19 testing centers, our emergency departments and surgical services and have established a direct feedback loop that allows our team to see the impact they have on people’s lives beyond our longstanding laboratories.”
The Ohio State Wexner Medical Center Clinical Laboratory processes COVID-19 tests from all over Ohio. It works with the Ohio Department of Health processing tests from zone 2, which includes 36 counties in central and southeastern Ohio.
“The lab has played a significant role in detecting COVID-19 in congregate living facilities such as nursing homes,” Williams said. “Our team is dedicated to the mission of improving people’s lives and seeing an end to the pandemic.”
More than 100 staff process samples 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The department has the ability to process tests on seven different platforms.
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Media Contact: Serena Smith, Wexner Medical Center Media Relations, Serena.Smith@osumc.edu