Carson City March 18, 2020
The State of Nevada is actively testing symptomatic patients for COVID-19, but looking to increase capacity when additional supplies are received from the manufacturers.
Through the dedicated work of the staff, the Nevada State Public Health Laboratory (NSPHL) has been able to increase testing capacity to 200 specimens a day, and the Southern Nevada Public Health Laboratory (SNPHL) has received extraction kits for 250 more tests.
The State has requested additional testing materials, but is continuing to test patients who show symptoms consistent with COVID-19. SHPHL is prioritizing testing to contacts and patients deemed a high priority by the District’s Office of Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance.
If the requested materials are received by the lab, there is the potential to test for COVID-19 without interruption. The COVID-19 test requires a variety of supplies for complete analysis.
The NSPHL has also requested additional reagents, which are components used to run the test, and when those supplies are received the lab is hopeful that testing capacity could again increase.
The State encourages health providers to work with patients to review their symptoms so those at highest risk are able to be tested.
More information on Nevada’s COVID-19 response can be found at https://NVHealthResponse.nv.gov/