VCU Health develops COVID-19 test kit

Virginia Commonwealth University Health System announced Wednesday that it has developed a COVID-19 test that it will administer to inpatients through a pilot program.

Tests will be administered primarily to patients who have severe symptoms and are hospitalized within the VCU Health System, dependent on supply. The goal is to garner same-day results for patients who have been tested, depending on the volume of tests given.

“Being able to determine whether a patient does or does not have COVID-19 quickly is of critical importance,” said Christopher Doern, director of microbiology at VCU Health, in a statement. “Being able to do that in our own laboratory will be a game-changer in how we manage patients with potential COVID-19 symptoms.”

VCU Health will also continue to administer tests from private and public state health labs for all patients with COVID-19 symptoms, whether or not they’re hospitalized. 

“One of the most incredible things is that, 10 days ago, this test didn’t exist,” Doern said in a statement. “We designed this test from the ground up in less than two weeks, a process that under normal circumstances would take a year or more.”