Vibra Health Laboratory Scales its Operation to Support COVID-19 Testing with Rapid Turnaround Time
TROY, Mich., April 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Vibra Health Laboratory (VHL) today formally announced availability of its high-throughput COVID-19 diagnostic testing services to support Michigan's private physician and hospital community as well as its national partners in need of rapid and accurate testing for their patients and staff.
Responding to the community's immediate need for rapid testing and following the US Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) announcement to grant Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) to the Thermo Fisher 7500DX Platform protocol, VHL launched its COVID-19 Real Time PCR multiplex assay; a qualitative test for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA present in respiratory tract specimens of suspected infected patients.
This assay targets three different viral genomic regions within the SARS-CoV-2 viral genome, a superior choice over targeting a single region used in other tests; therefore, reducing the risk of false negatives. These target regions have undergone bioinformatic selection and analysis to specifically target sequences that are unique to SARS-CoV-2 as determined by the latest available reference genome; therefore, reducing the risk of false positive results.
VHL leverages its ultra-high-throughput instruments and 384-well plate setup strategy to enable 4X the throughput of the standard 96-well plate runs. Higher throughput capabilities enable VHL to run each patient specimen in duplicate; ensuring more accurate results, while simultaneously allowing rapid 24-hour turn-around-time, even as the specimen volume reaches its anticipated apex of COVID-19 cases in Michigan. The lab is expected to continue to ramp up its testing capacity by adding additional equipment and technical personnel in the coming days.
Following Michigan's "Stay Home, Stay Safe" executive order, VHL was deemed an essential infrastructure business. The team quickly adapted its operations to implement appropriate social distancing practices and disinfecting protocols to ensure safety of its employees and customers. "VHL is dedicated to supporting its local community through this life-threatening pandemic. During this unprecedented time, we are humbled and honored to serve our community and healthcare partners," said Brad Hollinger, President and CEO of Vibra Healthcare. "The current situation compelled us to shift our primary focus of the lab to scale our facility to match the testing needs of our community."
VHL continues to support its toxicology and other molecular testing services to ensure no lapse in quality of care for its customers and partners. VHL is a CLIA/COLA Accredited facility, meeting federal clinical laboratory standards. Lean more at www.VibraHealthLab.com
About Vibra Health Laboratory
Vibra Health Laboratory (VHL) is a full-service CLIA/COLA certified specialty diagnostic laboratory based in Troy, Michigan.
SOURCE Vibra Health Lab
Share this article