Attn: All Wisconsin Nursing Homes and Intermediate Care Facilities for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities
Testing continues to be a key strategy for identifying individuals who have COVID-19 and in limiting the spread to others. Approximately 93% of nursing home and ICF/IID providers are testing or have tested their residents and staff as of today.
Specimen Acceptance Criteria Resource
In follow up to the message sent on Friday, May 29th regarding specimen acceptance best practices, please also see the COVID19 Testing: Help Your Specimen Get Accepted resource.
Gold Cross Courier Pickup
Gold Cross Courier will provide coolers and cold packs to transport samples to Exact Sciences. When they arrive at a facility, Gold Cross will remove the samples from the facility container and place them in refrigerated Gold Cross Courier containers. They will transport the samples to the Exact Sciences lab, where the samples will be transferred to Exact Sciences containers for testing.
Previous instruction was to have the box/cooler sealed and labeled for delivery to Exact Sciences. Now, we ask that the sealed biohazard bags be placed in a clear, gallon size resealable bag. Place the Transport Manifest in one of the clear resealable bags, if there is more than one. The outside of each clear resealable bag should be labeled:
- To: Exact Sciences
- From: <Facility name>
The facility name listed on the bag should match the name listed on the TRFs. Consistency is important in order to ensure specimens are matched correctly. Keep samples refrigerated until Gold Cross Courier arrives to pick them up; this can be done in the unsealed coolers or another method if preferred. The samples must be refrigerated at 2-8°C until the courier arrives.
Please refer to the resources under “Testing Criteria” on the COVID-19: Long-Term Care Facilities and Services webpage.
If you have questions about the testing process or suggestions for other publications that would be helpful, please email WI COVID-19 SNF Testing.
