SILVIS, Ill — A machine designed to test samples for COVID-19 is making its way to the Quad Cities, and will allow results to be ready within hours.
According to Genesis Communications Specialist Craig Cooper, the Genesis Medical Facility in Silvis now has the DiaSorin MDX, which can perform up to eight tests at one time. The results of those tests can be ready in 90 minutes.
Diasorin Molecular, the company that designed this testing got Emergency Use Authorization from the Food and Drug Administration back in March. The ultimate goal is to have medical centers use it to perform testing on site and receive timely results.
Staff in the lab will train on the machine for two week before they start using it for patient samples. Once they are up and running, they will be able to perform nearly 100 tests each day.
Up until this machine was available, Genesis had been sending their test samples to state or private labs. Results would take between two and 10 days or more to come back, said Cooper.
“This instrument will be a significant advancement locally in providing accurate results and a quicker return of results,’’ said Theresa Main, president of Genesis Medical Center-Silvis. “By knowing the results quickly, providers can also begin assessment and care plans of patients quickly.’’