COVID-19 (RNA) screen
Clinical Background:
**IMPORTANT CHANGES TO COVID TESTING**
Urgent COVID tests for patients based at the Freeman will no longer be performed by the Freeman laboratory on Saturdays, Sundays or Bank Holidays. Please make...
**IMPORTANT CHANGES TO COVID TESTING**
Urgent COVID tests for patients based at the Freeman will no longer be performed by the Freeman laboratory on Saturdays, Sundays or Bank Holidays. Please make sure these samples are sent to the RVI hot lab via the following protocol, which is also available at main reception.
- Please collect a pre-labelled box (containing a Red Urgent bag) from Freeman Main reception.
- Place box containing the sample in the dedicated box for collection by the blood bikes, which can be found at Freeman Main Reception.
- Book a blood bike via 31818 to collect the urgent sample.
Please note: There will be no change to the peri-transplant COVID screening protocol.
*CORONAVIRUS COVID-19 STATEMENT*
Please don’t call the Laboratory for COVID 19 results. Positive results will be phoned out and negative results will be available on e-Record/Open ICE as soon as they are known.
SARS-COV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) is the strain of coronavirus that causes COVID-19. This is a qualitative PCR assay which detects the viral RNA.
Test Details
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Discipline:
Microbiology
Microbiology
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Specimen Container Adult:
Upper respiratory tract samples (nose/throat/nasopharyngeal) in viral transport medium.
Lower respiratory tract sample if avialable (Sputum, ETA or BAL).Upper respiratory tract samples (nose/throat/nasopharyngeal) in viral transport medium.
Lower respiratory tract sample if avialable (Sputum, ETA or BAL). -
Specimen Container Paediatric:
Upper respiratory tract samples (nose/throat/nasopharyngeal) in viral transport medium.
Lower respiratory tract sample if avialable (Sputum, ETA or BAL).Upper respiratory tract samples (nose/throat/nasopharyngeal) in viral transport medium.
Lower respiratory tract sample if avialable (Sputum, ETA or BAL). -
Special Requirement:
Send samples to laboratory using national category B transport recommendations
Send samples to laboratory using national category B transport recommendations
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Transport Requirements:
Category B UN3373 regulations
Category B UN3373 regulations
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Quality Assurance:
QCMD
QCMD
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Factors Affecting Result:
If delays likely, refrigerate at 2-8 deg C in UN3373 storage containers
If delays likely, refrigerate at 2-8 deg C in UN3373 storage containers