Special Handling Instructions
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Stanford released data in March of other respiratory virus co-infection rates with COVID. Facilities are requiring special handling of potential COVID patient samples to be transported to the testing location. Are any locations requiring special handling of POC flu or rapid strep samples beyond standard precautions and single bagging?
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We are requiring specimens to be single bagged, and walked to the lab--no tubing.
We are using a face shield and mask to run POC Flu, RSV, and Strep on our ID Now when the patient also has a COVID ordered. All the samples come from our drive
up swab n go clinic so that is how we know they are COVID r/o patients. We had a big conversation in the lab regarding the safety of running them on the counter and not under a hood. We are using a dry swab so we feel the risk is minimal to others who are
not involved in the testing. Has anyone else had this concern or doing something different?
We’ve added biohazard shields, masks and goggles and or face shields when processing streps and flu for all suspected COVID cases on the Abbott IDNOW.
Drive up testing here has an NP swab is collected. When we get them in the lab they are eluded in saline. This is done under a biological hood. We then test for influenza using the saline using the ID NOW analyzer which is under the hood. The saline is then passed on for the COVID-19 testing to be sent out.
I'm sorry for lateness - Wednesday's post on doing anything different with transportation of suspected + COVID specimens. We are double bagging.