Transcription:
COVID Testing and Accuracy

Introduction: Riverside healthcare puts the health and wellness information you need, well within range.

Katie Salwei: Thank you for tuning in to the Well Within Reach podcast. I'm your host, Katie Salwei and joining me today is Melissa Burke, the Director of Riverside's Lab Services. Thank you so much for joining us today Melissa.

Melissa Burke: Thank you for having me

Host: Start off a little bit by telling our audience about you and your background.

Melissa Burke: Yeah, so I got my bachelor’s of science degree in biochemistry from Illinois Institute of Technology and then my masters of science and medical laboratory science from Rush university. Been with Riverside for about seven years. And I currently live in Bourbonnais with my husband and my son.

Host: Okay, well, thank you so much for sharing a little bit about that. So we're talking today we're talking about, COVID testing a little bit more about that, and we're going to dive more into the specifics of the testing itself. Since you work in the lab, you can have the ins and outs of the technology we use. So, but we'll start off with who should be getting a COVID test?

Melissa Burke: So, a physician's order is required. So anyone that has been exposed to a positive COVID case or is experiencing symptoms, should contact their provider or visit an immediate care to be evaluated.

Host: Okay. And so there's various ways that you can do this. We've added scheduling through my Riverside My Chart, and then now we have a new feature called E Check-In, which I believe gets us through the, the line a little quicker and our driving. And so you just go right through Riverside My Chart, and you can schedule and each check in at the exact same time. So you don't have to worry about doing it on the fly. You can do it right there. What do they need to know as they're getting in line for COVID?

Melissa Burke: So, make sure you wear your mask and bring your photo ID and your insurance card, our staff will get you checked in and get you swabbed and, on your way, as quickly as possible.

Host: Okay. And Riverside has multiple locations of where we do these COVID tests, can you share a little bit about those locations?

Melissa Burke: Yeah. So our main testing site is the Riverside Healthcare Pavilion Parking lot drive through that's our what's known as our tent. Then we also do collection at the Coal City campus, our Frankfurt campus, and also Moni Immediate care.

Host: Okay. So we're collecting from all over. Additionally, we're collecting from inside the hospital as well, all those people coming in for procedures and things like that. So you got a lot of tests running through the lab that you've got. So how does this testing work?

Melissa Burke: So, we use PCR testing in our lab, this type of testing to test the genetic material. That's unique to those stars, Kovi two virus, the virus that causes COVID-19. Our particular test looks for three genetic markers, which makes our test extremely specific to COVID-19 our scientists take the sample and they run it through multiple steps and that isolates, and then detects those, the viral gene markers, the results are then interpreted through a software and they flow directly into patients, my chart.

Host: So I've heard different pieces of the different types of tests we've got rapid tests and normal swabs. Can you tell a little bit about those differences?

Melissa Burke: Yeah. So the, the rapid tests that have been introduced in the market they've been producing some results that could be false negatives. So you might be getting a result in 15 minutes, but it might not actually be an accurate result. Some of the manufacturers have even recommended that the negative rapid tests are actually repeated with a PCR test, such as the one that we perform in our lab. So the negative COVID results on those rapid tests may actually be providing a false sense of security to someone who has COVID like illness symptoms or has been exposed to a COVID-19 positive person.

Host: Okay. And then you said the ones that we run through our lab is there like a certain amount that we have to get to before we can run a cycle or is there, how does that work?

Melissa Burke: So, we can actually run as many as, you know, we can run up to 94 samples at a time. If we have less than 94, we can certainly do a smaller batch, but we do try and fill up our runs to the 94 Mark as much as possible, which generally we have no problem doing

Host: Oh yeah. With the tests that are coming in. So we've invested quite a bit of money into making sure that we've got the right equipment for this. Can you kind of speak to the investment that Riverside has made on this?

Melissa Burke: Yeah. Riverside Healthcare has invested well over a million dollars in instrumentation equipment and reagents to make sure that we have onsite Coronavirus testing. We started investigating bringing onsite testing very early in the pandemic. We're talking beginning of March and it really helps us with the community. So we can identify that disease quickly and have those patients quarantined. A lot of the larger reference labs have been taking seven plus days to get results back, which it creates a big challenge for health departments and the public health department.

Host: Yeah. That's very nice to have made that investment in it. It shows that we're investing in the community too. We want to make sure we know how to keep treating this and hopefully eventually eradicate or whatever we can do to get rid of this COVID stuff. I know some people are going to, most people are probably kind of over it by now.

Melissa Burke: Yes, I am.

Host: Yes. So yeah, I'm sure. So yeah, it's definitely nice to have that kind of stuff on onsite. So along with that, like what is our testing accuracy? How can we measure that? How do we measure that?

Melissa Burke: Yeah, so every test that's out on the market, the manufacturer actually produces the accuracy and then each lab that performs the test actually is required to validate that accuracy before they do any patient testing. So our trust is extremely accurate and greater than 95% sensitive, which means that we're going to detect a positive 95% of the time. So we're, again, we're looking for genetic markers on the virus that's specific to SARS Kovi two. So our test is extremely accurate.

Host: Very comforting too, to know. I mean, for those that are coming in, that you can be confident that your test is going to be run through and it's going to be really high on the accuracy for that.

Melissa Burke: And to go back to the rapid tests, some of the rapid tests have been shown to only be 70% accurate. So that means 30% of the time you could be getting a false negative result.

Host: So how long does it take to get results? I know we talked earlier about that we can run about 94 at a time, and then they go right into your My Chart account and getting those results. But how, how quickly does it get from the lab result into you seeing them, a patient seeing them?

Melissa Burke: So, once we receive the sample, there's multiple steps and processes that have to take place even before the testing actually begins. So our turnaround time on results is generally about 24 to 48 hours, but I will brag a little bit and there are some times where we get them out much faster than that, but generally speaking 24 to 48 hours.

Host: Okay. And I know they go, I've mentioned this a few times. They go right into your Riverside My Chart account. If you have ever had a procedure, anything done at Riverside, you are able to have a Riverside My Chart account. But what about those patients who maybe have an outside primary care provider or somebody, how do we communicate to them?

Melissa Burke: Yeah. So we have relationships with a lot of physician offices in the area. Some of them actually have a way to kind of log into our Epic system to see their results, but otherwise we fax all of the results to the ordering provider's office as well. By now, I think we're all familiar with a swab that we jokingly say, pokes your brain. And at Riverside, we use that swab. That swab itself as much more sensitive than the swab that is just inserted slightly into the nose or the throat swab. So that's why we use that sample type that really gives us the best opportunity to pick up that viral material back in that nasal cavity.

Host: Okay. I, my nonclinical mind, I honestly, I know there's those, you know, those rapid strep tests or those ones that they do in the office and they don't go up as far as I've heard these COVID Tests go. And so I guess they didn't realize there was a different sensitivity to how that works.

Melissa Burke: The virus likes to hang out way back there. So that's why we swab there. So we have a better chance of picking it up and detecting it in the test and giving accurate results. Our ENTs and also our ER, staff have been phenomenal and training all of our specimen collectors out there to make sure that, that we are doing it appropriately and inserting the swab as far back as it needs to go.

Host: Okay. Well, that's good to know. I mean, I know they've all gone through the training, but I know you get different people in you're wondering, okay, are you trained, like going up the right distance? Or how does that work? You know, I know it's hard.

Melissa Burke: It's basically you're going back to the ear. And that's how you tell.

Host: That's how, you know, how far you're going. Okay. Well, that's, that's all great information. Is there anything else that I may have forgotten to ask or that you wanted to add?

Melissa Burke: No, that pretty much covers it. We're really excited to be able to offer this testing for the community and we're going to keep on fighting the Coronavirus day in and day out.

Host:  Well thank you. And we're so glad that we've got, we've got many experts looking into this and working on this and making sure that we're doing what we can. Just as a reminder, we do have several locations where you can be tested for COVID a physician's order is required. We want you to make, go see your primary care provider to make sure there isn't anything else that might be going on that isn't just COVID, but there's a lot of other stuff that mimics it. So please go see your primary care provider. And then when you do get ready to get your tests done, you can schedule an E-Check In ahead, on Riverside My Chart, and you can go visit the Riverside Healthcare Pavilion, Parking Lot drive-through location. You can go to Cole City campus, you can go to Frankfurt campus, or you can even go to our Moni Immediate Care. And each of these locations will be able to get your tests done and get the results back to you. And Melissa said earlier 24 to 48 hours. If you have any other additional questions, just visit Riverside's website at riversidehealthcare.org. So, Melissa, thank you so much for joining us today.

Melissa Burke: Thank you for having me.

Host: So much valuable information and thank you for tuning into the Well Within Reach podcast with Melissa Burke, the director of Riverside healthcare's lab services and your host, Katie Salwei. To find more podcasts and information, visit Riversidehealthcare.org.