Over the weekend, Gundersen Health System announced it has developed a test that detects COVID-19.
The test meets CDC requirements under federal protocol.
Gundersen is also able to produce results for the COVID-19 test in-house, reducing the wait time from days to hours.
However, the small lab inside the Health Science Center in La Crosse says it can only get through around 150-200 tests each day, so only specific tests are sent in-house.
“We are limiting our testing that we’re doing in-house to patients that we would consider the most critically ill, the ones that need the fastest results,” said Steve Callister a Gundersen research scientist.
The research scientist says knowing whether or not hospitalized patients are COVID-19 positive, helps the whole health system staff take proper precautions.
Patients with more mild symptoms can still be tested in Gundersen’s drive-thru if pre-screened and approved.
Those tests are sent to a commercial lab, according to the health system.
