Providence now processing coronavirus tests at its lab.
Providence Health & Services began analyzing coronavirus tests at its lab Wednesday, marking a significant milestone that appears to be the first expansion of testing capacity statewide among hospitals.
Providence will be able to process tests for 500 to 600 of its patients per day. Only those people who are sick enough to require testing, based on a doctor’s determination, are eligible.
Providence began the testing after securing enough supplies to process results for 2,000 to 3,000 people. Officials expect to receive a resupply this weekend, meaning lab staff should be able to analyze a similar number of tests next week.
Others will be joining soon
Other hospital systems beyond Providence are working toward in-house lab capacity to process tests.
OHSU Hospital expects to come online by March 25, if not sooner, and Legacy Health hopes to have limited capacity within two weeks. Kaiser Permanente expects to have its lab ready by the end of March.
So far Oregon only has 75 confirmed cases. This could help ramp up the data needed to control the spread.