WHO:
Viracor Eurofins, a 35-year-old clinical diagnostics lab (and a subsidiary of Eurofins) is partnering with the VA New England Healthcare System to offer COVID-19 testing to patients.
WHAT:
Viracor will offer two types of COVID-19 tests through the company’s established contract with the GSA (U.S. General Services Administration Contract):
• NP swab-based PCR tests to determine active infection
• Blood-based antibody testing. This may become a tool to identify people who were exposed to COVID-19, may have developed some level of immunity but potentially had mild to no symptoms.
WHEN:
Viracor Eurofins will be accepting specimens beginning April 2020
WHERE:
The VA New England Healthcare System includes eight medicals centers: Edith Nourse Rodgers VA Medical Center, VA Boston Healthcare System, Manchester VA Medical Center, VA Maine Healthcare System, VA Central Western Massachusetts Healthcare System, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, Providence VA Medical Center, and White River Junction VA Medical Center
WHY:
The VA New England Healthcare System serves approximately 265,000 patients every year. Making COVID-19 testing more accessible to VA patients in this area is an important step in fighting the spread of the virus.
More than 50% of U.S. Veterans in New England are 65 and older and many have underlying health complications, making them especially vulnerable to COVID-19.
The number of positive cases and deaths in the VA community is rising rapidly. As of April 7, there were 144 COVID-19 deaths and 3,038 positive cases nationwide.
ABOUT VIRACOR
With over 30 years of specialized expertise in infectious disease, immunology and allergy testing for immunocompromised and critical patients, Viracor Eurofins is committed to helping medical professionals, transplant teams, reference laboratories and biopharmaceutical companies get results faster, when it matters most. Viracor is passionate about delivering value to its clients by providing timely, actionable information, never losing sight of the connection between the testing it performs and the patients it ultimately serves. Viracor is a 100 percent subsidiary of Eurofins Scientific (EUFI.PA), the global leader in bio-analytical testing, and one of the world leaders in genomic services. For more information, please visit https://www.eurofins.com/ and https://www.viracor-eurofins.com/ .
ABOUT THE VA NEW ENGLAND HEALTHCARE SYSTEM
VA New England Healthcare System, headquartered in Bedford, Massachusetts, includes eight medical centers, 45 Community Based Outpatient Clinics, six Community Living Centers, and two domicilliaries located in the six New England States: Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Sloane Heller
917.432.4194
sloane@sloanehellermedia.com