Pennsylvania Begins Testing For Coronavirus At Lab In Exton

EXTON, PA — Pennsylvania has begun testing for coronavirus, officials announced on Tuesday. At this time, the only location when testing is happening is the state-run lab located in Exton.

That information came during a Pennsylvania Department of Health teleconference with reporters Tuesday, during which Secretary Rachel Levine confirmed that there are still no confirmed cases of the virus in Pennsylvania.

The news comes as the ninth American died from the contagion on Tuesday. There have been roughly 90,000 confirmed cases and more than 3,000 deaths worldwide.

Levine said the testing in Exton will not be instantaneous; rather, health care providers from around the state will collect samples independently from any individuals who are showing symptoms. The samples will then be sent to the lab for testing.

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Though Exton is the only lab in Pennsylvania currently approved to perform coronavirus testing, the state is moving towards approving several commercial labs, which will vastly expand their testing capabilities and speed.

The Department of Health's emergency response center was also activated on Tuesday, allowing officials to provide an "enhanced response" to any potential cases.

Thus far, the state has spent about $200,000 on the virus, officials said. Much of the state's funding to prepare for the virus comes from the federal level, but that money does not cover actual response. Levine noted that the administration had asked U.S. Congress for around $2.5 billion to address the virus.

The Bureau of Laboratories, located on Pickering Way in Exton, is the state's central public health lab, and supports disease prevention throughout the commonwealth. It is not affiliated with the Chester County Health Department.

What is coronavirus?

Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that include the common cold as well as much more serious diseases. The strain that emerged in China in late 2019, now called COVID-19, is related to others that have caused serious outbreaks in recent years, including severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). The first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the U.S. was on Jan. 21.

The disease, which apparently originated in animals, is now transferring from person to person, although the mechanism is not yet fully understood. Its symptoms include fever, coughing and shortness of breath, and many patients develop pneumonia. There is as yet no vaccine against COVID-19 it and no antiviral treatment.

According to the CDC, the best way of preventing the disease is to avoid close contact with people who are sick, to avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands, to wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, and to use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol if soap and water are not available.

To avoid spreading any respiratory illness, the CDC recommends staying at home when you are sick, covering your cough or sneeze with a tissue and throwing the tissue in the trash, cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces.