Coronavirus Compound Needed For Testing In Short Supply

DENVER (CBS4)- Coronavirus testing is in the development phase to be available at hospitals, but currently nothing like it is possible. There are 15 "presumptive" positive cases in Colorado as of Tuesday, the same day Gov. Jared Polis declared a State of Emergency in Colorado.

"It's not a little kit, it's a very specialized test that needs to run on specialized molecular equipment," said Dr. Heather Signorelli.

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Signorelli leads laboratory testing for the HealthOne Network. The group has over 180 hospitals around the country including in Colorado, with St. Luke's in the group.

"We have laboratory equipment to test for all kinds of specialized infectious disease agents," she said.

But she explained, what's needed to identify coronavirus is a specific kind of compound that reacts and identifies the genetic sequencing of COVID 19; and that's currently scarce in supply.

"What we're really waiting on right now to really have this more widely available is specific reagents for specific pieces of equipment that we have within the hospital."

Because of the need, Signorelli said, the Federal Drug Administration has fast-tracked development for these compounds, while people like Signorelli are trying to figure out whether there should be testing onsite.

"We are evaluating whether or not we can bring this into our hospitals, it is continuing to be on very specialized pieces of equipment. So this isn't a little kit that we can test every single patient."

Currently, in cases where COVID 19 seems likely, samples are sent off to an independent reference lab before it may go to the Centers for Disease and Prevention.

"They are quickly being overwhelmed and that's why it's even more important that we are stressing that for most patients we really want to limit testing to those high-risk patients."

As for how soon new testing may be available, Signorelli said advances are happening weekly but it could take a year or more.

Additional Information from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment:

• Practice good hygiene. Thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water. In the absence of soap and water, use hand-sanitizer; use your elbow or sleeve to cover coughs and sneezes
• Stay home if you're sick; keep your children home if they are sick. The illness can last for many days so make preparations now to work from home if possible.
• We advise Coloradans to always be prepared for an emergency-- like a large snowstorm-- and have a plan for your family. Make sure to have 72 hours of key supplies on hand like medications, infant formula, diapers, pet food, etc. FEMA guidance for pre-pandemic COVID-19 preparedness is available on Ready.gov.
• Stay informed with reliable, up-to-date information. People who have general questions about coronavirus disease 2019, can call CO HELP at 303-389-1687 or 1-877-462-2911 or email COHELP@RMPDC.org, for answers in English and Spanish (Español), Mandarin (普通话), and more.