2 Arizona labs team up to mass-produce coronavirus testing kits
Mar 31, 2020, 11:20 AM
(AP Photo)
(AP Photo)
PHOENIX – Two Arizona-based laboratories have paired up to mass-produce novel coronavirus testing kits that can return results in 24 hours.
Phoenix-based Prorenata and Paradigm, based in Tucson, said Monday they expected to process 700 tests a day; by next week the labs said that number would jump to 2,500 per day and 8,000 by the end of April.
“We are fortunate to have developed the right technology at the right time,” Padadigm President Ethan C. Sasz said in a press release.
“More importantly, we need to get to work immediately as we prepare to help our nation take on coronavirus crisis head-on.”
Employers will be able to buy the test kits. Titan Solar Power of Mesa announced it would begin voluntary testing of employees immediately.
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Testing has already been made available to virus first-line responders, including hospitals and clinics, the companies said.
The labs have been consulting with state and county health officials on the CDC/FDA tests.
Results will be sent back to patients, providers and appropriate agencies.
Commercial labs began testing in Arizona less than a month ago. Until then, the Arizona State Public Health Laboratory had handled analysis of samples.
As of Tuesday, Arizona had 1,289 cases of COVID-19; 24 people have died from complications of the virus, the state’s Department of Health Services said.
