Influenza prevalence fluctuates seasonally with the onset of “flu season” typically beginning its upswing in the month of December. It is important for providers to have an awareness of influenza prevalence (in addition to other respiratory viruses) to help guide when influenza testing should be pursued.
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Covid-19
Corewell Health Laboratories no longer offers Covid collection observations or collections at any of our draw sites/laboratories.
If your patient is experiencing symptoms and requires a Covid test, please choose one of the options below:
Collect the specimen in your office and send the specimen to any Corewell Health Laboratory or with your Corewell Health Courier, if available.
• Please be sure to place a collected order in Epic or your EMR, or include a paper order with the specimen.
• Please make sure the specimen is labeled with 2 patient identifiers, date and time of collection, and source (nasopharyngeal or nares)
For all other options please visit: Corewell Health COVID-19 screening and testing
NOTE: Walk-in COVID-19 testing is not available at any of our sites, including emergency departments, urgent care locations or walk-in clinics. Testing is available to registered patients who are seeking medical treatment.
Effective August 30, 2023, the COVID-19 Total Antibody test, which includes the qualitative detection of spike and nucleocapsid antibodies against COVID-19, will be discontinued as an orderable test at Corewell Health West Laboratories. Symptomatic patients suspected to have acute COVID-19 infection should be tested using a molecular assay.
To aid in the clinical diagnosis of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children or adults (MIS-C or MIS-A), the COVID-19 IgG, Qualitative by CIA will be available as a send out test. This test is a qualitative detection of IgG antibodies against the nucleocapsid protein of COVID-19 that develop in response to natural infection with COVID-19. This test is performed on Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays, and reported within 1-5 days.
Effective immediately, the following Regional Hospital Laboratories have the 4-Plex (COVID-19, Influenza A, Influenza B, RSV) test available for ordering and testing:
- Big Rapids Hospital Laboratory
- Blodgett Hospital Laboratory
- Gerber Hospital Laboratory
- Ludington Hospital Laboratory
- Pennock Hospital Laboratory
- Reed City Hospital Laboratory
- United/Greenville Hospital Laboratory
- Zeeland Hospital Laboratory
Compliance & Safety, Education & Training, General Information, Main lab
COVID-19 Test Update for Regional Hospital Lab Clients
Effective Tuesday, September 27, 2022, the following laboratories will be going live with the GeneXpert Xpress for COVID-19 testing: Big Rapids, Gerber, Ludington, Pennock, Reed City, United, and Zeeland.
Please ensure your sites are stocked with the correct collection devices listed below in preparation of the changeover.
At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic Spectrum Health Laboratory implemented a protocol to call providers and patients to notify of positive COVID-19 PCR testing. The pandemic has shifted to an endemic phase and a positive COVID-19 test is no longer considered a critical value. Effective Friday, August 26, 2022, Spectrum Health Laboratory will no longer call positive COVID-19 PCR testing, for inpatient or outpatient specimens.
Results for COVID-19 PCR will still file to the patient’s chart in Epic and reported to the ordering provider through usual means of receiving results (fax or electronic) and to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS). Patient’s will still be notified via their MyChart as well.
If you have any questions or concerns, please use the “contact us” link above.
The following NEW items are available at the Spectrum Health Distribution Center.
ITM-1140078 – Viral Transport Media with Nasopharyngeal Swab (NP, UTM)
ITM-1186125 – Viral Transport Media with Flocked Swab (UTM)
Spectrum Health and Spectrum Health Medical Group providers, please order via Workday. Independent and non-SH providers please order via the Laboratory Supply Form.
ITM-1140078 has replaced ITM-1140814 – Saline Swab Kit for Covid Nasopharyngeal collection. ITM-1186125 is recommended for Nares (Nostril) collection. Please reference the Laboratory Catalog for more information on specimen collection containers for COVID testing.
Compliance & Safety, Education & Training, General Information
Appropriate Labeling for Shared Specimen – COVID-19 & FLU AB PCR
To provide efficient and safe testing for patient specimens, please review the following information when sending COVID-19 PCR and Influenza A/B PCR testing in the same encounter to Spectrum Health Laboratories.
Two labels will be available for this testing. Labels must be fixed so that
• The test and patient information are shown
• The barcode may be easily scanned by Lab staff or instruments
When this is not done correctly, Laboratory staff removes the labels and re-fixes or re-prints it, which obstructs workflow, causes delays, and could result in patient information being peeled off. With patient safety and efficient testing being two of the Lab’s top priorities, it is vital that specimens arrive in such a way as to best accomplish both.
Due to a shortage of testing supplies, Spectrum Health Reference Laboratory (SHRL, Grand Rapids) will be limiting testing methods that utilize dry swabs.
For COVID tests collected in the ambulatory (outpatient) setting, a COVID PCR (LAB1230607) should be ordered and collected on a swab placed in liquid transport media.