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Demand for COVID-19 testing doubles at KU lab

By Madison Parry

While the number of those being treated for COVID-19 at the University of Kansas Health System has increased, so has the demand for testing. Over the last month requests have doubled at KU’s microbiology lab, though staff says they are keeping up with the surge.

A Monday Media briefing from the University of Kansas Health System revealed a non-surprising trend descending on its facilities and others in the region, reporting a new record number of COVID-19 patients are being treated at KU.

The health system reported 102 COVID-19 patients are now being treated at its facilities as of Monday. This is a bump up from 91 infected patients on Wednesday, Nov. 25.

In a slight turn of optimism, 46 of the 102 are in the ICU, down from 47 last week. Thirty remain on ventilators as of today.

Similar to a rising trend in those being admitted for COVID-19 treatment, the demand for COVID-19 testing has likewise increased, testing doubling over the last four weeks including the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

KU’s microbiology lab, which has been handling incoming samples, has seen testing requests double in November, according to the lab’s director, Rachael Liesman.

During Monday’s briefing, Liesman said the lab is now averaging well over 1000 a day, doing 1500 over the four-day Thanksgiving weekend. Despite this, Liesman said the lab’s small staff is coping well with the surge and has managed to stay safe through proper use of PPE equipment and social distancing.

Liesman also discussed the different COVID-19 tests being processed at the lab, saying that while the rapid antigen test is good at confirming the virus in patients with symptoms, the nasal swab test – also referred to as PCR – remains the preferred standard above saliva testing.