GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — As COVID cases surge, doctors are looking for ways to monitor people from home. They're finding success with a unique respiratory testing kit developed in West Michigan.
Arctic Molecular, a Grand Rapids-based lab located at 801 Broadway Ave. NW, developed an at-home, FDA-approved, PCR testing kit.
It's a painless swab in the front of the nose, with a 24-hour result turnaround.
The AR41 kit can test for 41 different respiratory pathogens including COVID, RSV, and influenza, currently the largest number on the market, according to their website.
The kit can also tell patients whether or not they need antibiotics.
The lab's Medical Director said this broad range of pathogens reduces the chance of negative or inconclusive test results.
He adds it's really a service for doctors who would prefer to keep infectious patients at home.
"If a doctor was concerned because a patient called, we would then dispatch somebody from our lab to their home," said Dr. Brent Zanke, the CEO of Arctic Medical Labs. "We would collect the sample and bring it back to the lab, do the analysis and then give the results to the doctor. The doctor would have a telemedicine session with the patient and it would protect the patient from infecting others."
The kit and service were developed this Summer and launched on Friday, Oct. 1.
The lab has partnered with large hospitals in Grand Rapids and Dr. Zanke said they've had 12 patients use the service so far.
"What we really need is for people to know this is out there," he said. "We think we should be doing 100s of tests a month."
The program is covered by most insurance.
If you are a physician seeking to order a test and have not previously registered, please email info@arcticmolecular.com or call 616-747-0307 for quick, easy registration options.
For patients seeking a test, please contact your physician today or call 616-747-0307 to learn more about testing with a laboratory-affiliated physician.
According to their website, Arctic Molecular is a physician-managed testing facility has been a part of the Grand Rapids community for more than ten years. Their lab is accredited by the College of American Pathology (CAP), the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA), and the Clinical Laboratory Evaluation Program (CLEP).
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