Eureka lab offers testing for COVID-19

– says patients can expect results in 4-5 days

EUREKA Medical Laboratory has joined the fight against the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) by offering testing for the deadly disease.

The company made the announcement on Saturday, just about a week after head of the National COVID-19 Task Force, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, said government gave private medical institutions the “green light” to conduct testing for COVID-19.
Initially, the National Reference Lab was the only institution which was authorised to conduct tests.

“We have given the ‘green-light’ for private hospitals to import testing kits, so they could supplement and do rapid testing,” said Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo during a recent virtual press briefing.

With the new system in place, testing for the dreaded disease will be done by both state and private institutions in the near future.

With the way cleared for private institutions to join the fight, Eureka has announced that persons can make appointments for testing at their laboratory in Georgetown.
According to the company, in a Facebook post, persons will go through a short telephone interview before being booked for the sample-taking.
On arrival at the lab, persons will have to present a form of identification before a nasopharyngeal swab is taken.

A nasopharyngeal swab is defined as a method for collecting a clinical test sample of nasal secretions from the back of the nose and throat. The sample is then analyzed for the presence of organisms or other clinical markers for disease.

Samples taken by technicians at Eureka lab will be sent abroad for testing using PCR technology– the gold standard for COVID-19 testing.
Results will be issued to patients within 4-5 days via their choice of communication (delivery, email and pick-up). Person can contact the lab on telephone numbers 227-0622 or 226-8979.

Laboratories and other private institutions, which decide to do testing and treatment, will not be left without guidance, as the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) has expressed its willingness to assist private institutions in preparing themselves to test for the disease.

The international health organisation had “brought in” an expert to train technicians at the national reference lab to test for the COVID-19 disease.

“We are prepared to train other ‘labs’ and private hospitals to have the same quality assurance as the reference ‘lab’; they will have to go by the standards we have set up for the government,” said Resident PAHO/ World Health Organization (WHO) Representative, Dr. William Adu-Krow during a recent press briefing.

He said that PAHO normally supports Guyana by supporting the Public Health Ministry, and they will continue to do so by giving them testing kits and, now, by supporting private institutions, which will have to follow WHO guidelines.
According to WHO, COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by the newly-discovered coronavirus.

The WHO said most people infected with the COVID-19 virus will experience mild to moderate respiratory illnesses and recover without requiring special treatment. Older persons and those with underlying medical problems such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, and cancer, are more likely to develop serious illness.
The WHO believes that the best way to prevent and slow down transmission is to be well informed about the virus, the disease it causes and how it is spread.

“Protect yourself and others from infection by washing your hands or using an alcohol-based rub frequently and not touching your face. The COVID-19 virus spreads primarily through droplets of saliva or discharge from the nose when an infected person coughs or sneezes, so it’s important that you also practise respiratory etiquette (for example, by coughing into a flexed elbow),” the WHO has advised.

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