Author: GS Labs

Credit to kshb.com

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — As the demand for COVID-19 tests continues to surge around the Kansas City area, some people are experiencing longer wait times for results.

Sonya Hooper said her family has been waiting nearly a week for their test results.

As a family in the Blue Valley School District, Hooper said it is important to them to test frequently after the district sent out a letter to families last week saying it will no longer notify families if students are a close contact from a school exposure.

“We decided to test prior to the start of the new semester just to be responsible knowing that the community was already experiencing higher numbers,” Hooper said.

Labs around the metro are doing what they can to accommodate the surge.

Darin Jackson, medical director for GS Labs, said the company has been increasing its capacity at its locations across the country and in Kansas City, Missouri.

However, staffing still remains a challenge.

“It’s hard, we are not immune like any other industry, I mean omicron is wreaking it’s havoc across the country,” Jackson said.

Jackson said the company is able to get rapid test results out within an hour but the surge is affecting result turnaround times for some PCR tests.

“As far as our confirmatory PCR, that has to get shipped to Omaha, and so we are at the mercy of the shipping process,” Jackson said. “And then that’s usually taking anywhere from 3 to 5 days unfortunately because of just the number of testing that we have there.”

On top of doubling testing numbers at its sites across the country, Jackson said there is another alarming trend.

“We were lingering around the nine to 11% positivity rate in November and December, and then on Dec. 26 going forward now across all of our sites our positivity rate is in the low to mid-20s,” Jackson said.

He echos other health care professionals encouraging everyone to get vaccinated and boosted if eligible.

“It does lower the significance of the illness that you have and the goal is to keep you off the ventilator and out of the hospital,” Jackson said.

Credit to The Des Moines Register

With the omicron variant fueling a COVID surge that’s resulted in higher daily case counts and more concurrent hospitalizations than seen at any point in 2021, COVID tests are in high demand across Iowa.

On Monday, the Iowa Department of Public Health reported about 15,000 new positive tests since its last update on Friday. The statewide 14-day positivity rate was 20%, or about one in five tests coming back positive. That suggests tens of thousands of Iowans are taking COVID tests, meaning they may be hard to find in some locations.

There are two primary types of COVID tests: PCR tests, which search for the genetic material of the coronavirus, must be analyzed in a lab and take longer to report results; and rapid antigen tests, which look for protein fragments from the coronavirus and produce quicker results but are generally considered less reliable.

Some stores offer take-home versions of both PCR and antigen tests, but availability is limited in the Des Moines area. Over-the-counter home PCR tests may cost $100 or more, while antigen tests are available for prices between $10 and $40.

Users should check whether their health insurance plans cover the cost of over-the-counter tests. Beginning later this week, health insurers will be required to offer reimbursement under a plan from President Joe Biden.

At-home COVID-19 test kits are in short supply in Iowa

As of Monday, both home PCR test kits and home rapid antigen tests were out of stock and not available for shipping through Walgreens and CVS websites. The CVS website showed available rapid antigen tests in-store at some Des Moines-area locations. An automated response to calls to Walgreens warned that, due to high demand, take-home test availability was limited, and customers were advised to visit their local store or check online to purchase kits.

A statement from Walgreens said the chain was continuing to enforce a four-item limit on COVID testing products due to increased demand.

Walgreens had appointments available for in-person PCR testing at some locations, according to its website. The store advertises free, contactless testing, but customers must make an appointment on the Walgreens website.

At Hy-Vee, in-person testing is also available by scheduling an appointment online. Tina Potthoff, Hy-Vee’s senior vice president of communications, cautioned most same-day appointments are taken, and customers are more likely to be able to get an appointment if they’re able to go to different locations or schedule the test one or two days in the future.

At-home test availability may also be limited at Hy-Vee. “We are continuing to order as much as we can to meet demand,” Potthoff said. “As quickly as the tests come in, they are selling right away.”

Appointments available for in-person testing in Des Moines area

Iowans who are able to schedule and travel to an in-person appointment for testing have several options. In addition to the pharmacies above, GS Labs is offering in-person rapid and PCR testing at 3448 Westown Pkwy. in West Des Moines.

If not insured, rapid antigen tests at GS Labs cost $179 out-of-pocket, and typically produce results within 30 minutes. PCR tests cost $229 without insurance and yield results in three to five days, depending on volume.

As of Monday afternoon, appointments were available through the GS Labs website beginning about 24 hours in advance. In a statement Friday, spokesperson David Leibowitz said the company plans to add capacity to meet increased demand.

Nomi Health is offering in-person PCR tests at Hoover High School (4915 Madison Ave. in Des Moines) and the Kurtz Opportunity Center (1000 Porter Ave. in Des Moines), as well as at locations in Council Bluffs and Liberty.

Iowans can schedule appointments online at nomihealth.com/iowa. Some same-day appointments were available on Monday. The Hoover location has capacity to test 450 people per day, and the Kurtz Opportunity Center location can test 300 per day, according to a release from Nomi Health.

Free take-home kits through Test Iowa

Iowans can request free at-home PCR tests through the Test Iowa program at testiowa.com. Iowans may request a test shipped to their address or can pick one up at locations listed on the program website.

“While Test Iowa At Home collection kits remain available across the state, the State Hygienic Laboratory and the Iowa Department of Public Health are monitoring supplies alongside test kit orders,” said Sarah Ekstrand, spokesperson with the Iowa Department of Public Health, in an email. “The current surge could affect Test Iowa kit availability for brief periods of time.”

Ekstrand asked Iowans who already have test kits to use the ones they already have before ordering any additional kits.

Once the test is returned to the State Hygienic Laboratory through UPS or other drop-off locations, Test Iowa says results should typically be available within 24 hours, but Ekstrand said the current surge has caused the average wait time to increase to 30 hours, as of Monday.

Credit to KMOV St. Louis

ST. LOUIS COUNTY (KMOV.com) – To help meet the skyrocketing demand for COVID-19 testing, new testing sites opened up Monday in St. Louis City and St. Louis County.

Testing is now available at The Pageant Theater on the Delmar Loop 7 days a week from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Kelly Atwood and her two teenage sons got tested there.

“Super easy. We pre-registered online and just showed up and and waited maybe 10, 15 minutes and we were done,” she said.

The testing is being conducted by Nomi Health and registration is done online. The location has the capacity to test 500 to 1,000 people a day. Both rapid tests and the more accurate PCR tests are available. Walkups are welcome.

St. Louis County opened a new test site at the North St. Louis County Recreation Complex on Redman Road. Appointments must be scheduled online. Sixth grader Khristen Miller and her mother booked an appointment for Monday afternoon.

“And we’ve been around a lot of people, like going in and out of stores. So we just thought we should get tested,” she said.

The site has a capacity to test up to 200 people a day, but the capacity will be increased later.

Ballpark Village is conducting COVID testing 5 days a week. Last week, hundreds were tested and some had to wait in line as long as 90 minutes. But today there was virtually no waiting.

Lines were also shorter at the IBEW Local #1 offices at 5850 Elizabeth Avenue in South City. Last week, some reported waiting in their cars for the drive-through testing for up to four hours. Today the process took about 90 minutes.

GS Labs is also doing testing at its laboratories nationwide, including a local lab at 6940 South Lindbergh Boulevard. Appointments are required and can be booked online.  According to Medical Laboratory Director Lindsey Nielsen, Ph.D., appointments are usually available the same day or next day.

“Simply drive up, stay in their cars and we’ll come up and collect a sample from them and we’ll return a result very quickly. Within 20 to 30 minutes after the test is completed,” she said.

In St. Charles County, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services is conducting drive-thru testing at the Family Arena in St. Charles. To make an appointment you can visit the website here.

Testing is also available 6 days a week in Fairview Heights at St. Clair Square. No appointments are necessary. You can get more information here.  And information on COVID-19 testing options in Madison County can be found here.

Credit to The Des Moines Register

The Des Moines metro area isn’t completely bereft of rapid, at-home COVID-19 tests — though finding them can require a hunt.

Phone calls to area Walgreens Tuesday all opened with pre-recorded warnings of “unprecedented demand” for the at-home rapid tests; Walgreens and CVS pharmacies limit their purchases to four and two per customer, respectively — if a store location has supplies in stock.

The at-home tests promise results in as little as 10 or 15 minutes and cost between about $10 to almost $40, depending on the manufacturer. They were subject to a pre-Christmas rush of demand in Iowa and nationally. Supply hadn’t quite recovered as of Tuesday morning, though some Walgreens, CVS and Hy-Vee Pharmacy locations said they were just receiving new stock or due for more later this week. CVS Pharmacy’s website highlights if a test is available at nearby stores.

Hy-Vee spokersperson Tina Potthoff said the chain had a decent supply. “Prior to the Christmas holiday, we saw a significant increase in customers purchasing at-home COVID tests at our stores in the metro; however, we don’t expect any issues with availability as we head into the New Year,” Potthoff said in an email.

Other COVID-19 testing options abound in Iowa

Many pharmacies that sell the at-home rapid tests also conduct their own on-site tests, including rapid tests. For those, they require the patient to visit in-person, instead of having take-home tests on hand to use at the onset of possible symptoms or to check for the virus immediately before attending an event. The price of the on-site tests vary by type, location and patients’ insurance status. PCR tests, which take longer to process, are free at Hy-Vee

More:Where can you find a COVID test? From rapid tests to free take-home tests, here’s where to get one in Iowa

GS Labs in West Des Moines showed open same-day appointment slots Tuesday morning for rapid and PCR tests, though it requires private health insurance, which completely covers the cost, or for customers to pay $380 up front.

Test Iowa, through a contract with the state government, offers free at-home PCR testing to all Iowa residents, though the sample must be shipped to a lab to be analyzed. Some drop-off sites, including at the Polk County Health Department, offer same-day delivery of the specimen to the State Hygienic Lab. Iowans can request the kits be sent directly to them, or they can pick them up at any of the dozens of locations statewide. To order a kit or find a place to get one, go to http://www.testiowa.com.

The state has “seen an increase in demand for testing and an increase in the activation rate of Test Iowa test kits,” Iowa Department of Public Health spokesperson Sarah Ekstrand said in an email. “The State Hygienic Lab is operating day and night to ensure Iowans have timely test results. “

Des Moines Public Schools also contracted with Nomi Health, the company behind Test Iowa, to offer free PCR and antigen testing at two Polk County locations: the Kurtz Opportunity Center on the southside and at the Northwest Public Swimming Pool. The sites prioritize students and their families and school staff, but are also open to the general public. People can make an appointment at http://testing.nomihealth.com/signup/dmschools. While insurance is not required, officials ask people with coverage to bring their insurance card.

The Biden administration will also purchase hundreds of millions of at-home rapid tests for distribution throughout the country, but residents won’t be able to request the tests until January.

What to do if you test positive for COVID-19 with an at-home test

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urges people who test positive with an at-home test to notify their health care provider and any close contacts they may have had. Federal guidelines also say they should isolate for the next five days and until they are asymptomatic, and to rigorously mask around others for another five days after that. Polk County Health Department officials also urge county residents to contact their office so the department can help with contact tracing, spokesperson Nola Aigner Davis said. The department’s phone number is 515-286-3798.

The CDC recently changed its guidance from 10 days of isolation following new research into COVID-19 and the omicron variant specifically that shows most transmissions happen early in the initial infection.

Test Iowa, health care providers and private labs and pharmacies are required to be report COVID-19 test results to the state, regardless of if they are positive or negative, to help officials understand viral activity in the state, Ekstrand said. At-home tests, “though an important and convenient tool,” do not have the same requirement, she said. They also aren’t used for sequencing, which is used to help officials estimate the presence and proportion of new variants.

Credit to KARE 11 NBC – Minneapolis

Credit to KCCI Des Moines

As the holidays come to a close, some may want to or need to get a COVID-19 test.

When should you get a COVID test?

According to the CDC, COVID symptoms will appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus.

Where can you get a COVID test?

At-home test kits are sold out, or in limited supply, across Central Iowa. A rapid at-home test can provide results in as little as 15 minutes. A negative at-home test means you may not have the virus, but the CDC suggests taking another test 24 hours later to increase the confidence you are not infected.

Other pharmacies and locations offer testing. You can get a test through IDPH through Test Iowa, other testing locations can be found here.

Someone at my holiday party tested positive, should I get tested?

People who are fully vaccinated should be tested 5-7 days after their last exposure, according to the CDC. People who are not vaccinated should get tested immediately after finding out they were exposed. They should get tested again 5-7 days after their last exposure, or immediately if symptoms develop.

I tested positive, now what?

If you have a positive viral test, CDC suggests you isolate for at least five days, which was shortened late Monday.

What else should I know?

The CDC suggests everyone, regardless of vaccination status, wear a mask inside an indoor public place. Doctors and the CDC agree, the best way to stop the spread of COVID-19 is to get vaccinated.

Credit to WHO-TV Des Moines

DES MOINES, Iowa — If you’re in need of a COVID-19 test, but are not feeling any serious symptoms, some healthcare leaders are now recommending you get tested away from hospital facilities.

Dr. Clint Hawthorne, who directs the emergency departments at UnityPoint Health’s Des Moines hospitals, says the effort spent on testing asymptomatic patients should go towards saving the lives of COVID-19 patients in the intensive care unit.

“If you are sick, then that’s simple: You stay at home and get tested,” Hawthorne said. “If you’re feeling ill, then we’re here, but if you’re feeling like, ‘I just need to get a test,’ there’s lots of places that can provide just a test.”

Among those places is GS Labs, a Nebraska-based COVID testing lab with a testing site across from Valley West Mall in West Des Moines.

GS Labs medical director Darin Jackson, MD said the busy season for testing is underway due to the holidays.

“There’s still a need,” Jackson said. “Our numbers are up 50 to 60 percent in the last couple of weeks.”

Jackson said his facility now administers about 300 tests a day, but is prepared to handle a thousand tests a day if demand starts to surge even more.

“In these traditional holidays where people want to get together, people want to be as safe as they can,” Jackson said.

Hawthorne said take-home tests from pharmacies and department stores are also recommended, as long as it tells you the results away from Iowa’s busy emergency rooms.

“Almost 30 percent of our beds are allocated towards one disease entity, and that really starts to limit the capabilities to provide for everyone else in the community,” Hawthorne said. “The hospital system and primary care clinics can not be the only place for testing.”