UW Health lab performs nearly 200,000 COVID-19 tests
Published article
MADISON, Wis. - UW Health’s lab announced on Friday, Feb. 26 that it performed its first COVID-19 test at University Hospital on March 19, 2020. Almost a year later, they have run nearly 200,000 COVID-19 tests.
UW Health is now recognizing the efforts of the medical technologists, specimen receiving technicians, pathology faculty, development specialists, lab quality and many lab leaders who have often worked 80-100 hours per week to achieve this remarkable feat. Some weeks they ran as many as 1,100 COVID-19 test per day.
In early March 2020, the state lab was the only one that could test for COVID-19 and supplies were limited. Patient placement and decision-making for a care team was difficult without a COVID-19 test results, and UW Health needed more tests and faster results so frontline workers could provide accurate, safe, and quality patient care.