D.C. getting equipment for rapid testing as COVID-19 cases increase

Heather Curtis

MARYLAND (WMAL) – As the number of COVID-19 cases in the District continues to increase, the city is getting equipment that will allow for two new types of rapid testing to be done. As of Monday the District has a total of 1,955 confirmed cases and 53 deaths, with the latest being an inmate at the D.C. jail.

The availability of tests and the time it takes to get results has been an issue around the region and country. District residents who want to get tested need to have a referral from a doctor. First responders, health care providers, residents 65 or older and those with underlying health conditions are being prioritized. Mayor Muriel Bowser said last week grocery store workers should also not have issues getting approved for testing.

One of the new rapid testing pieces of equipment the city is getting is Cepheid’s GeneXpert System.

“It’s actually a very small piece of equipment that has simplified the testing process,” said Dr. Jenifer Smith, the director of the city’s department of forensic sciences.

She said it allows a swab to be inserted into a small container that Smith said looks like a K-Cup. That is then inserted into the machine, and it takes about 45 minutes to get a result Smith said.

The other system is the ID NOW COVID-19 made by Abbot Laboratories, which allows swabs to be placed in a piece of equipment that can process samples in 5 to 15 minutes according to Smith.

“Of course we’re always worried about the amount of tests that are available for this,” Smith said. She added they have hundreds of Cepheid test kits available and about 1,000 test kids for the Abbott machines they are getting.

Starting in May, Bowser said the pubic health lab will be able to do antibody testing as well.

“As we learn more about the COVID-19 immune response, this testing will be very important,” Bowser said.

Testing increased from about 300 tests per 1,000,000 people on March 18 to more than 18,000 per million on April 11 according to Bowser.

Testing sites at D.C. include George Washington University Hospital, United Medical Center, Children’s National Hospital and Kaiser Permanente Capitol Hill Medical Center.