The first lab in Texas with the capability to test for coronavirus is run by Dallas County Health and Human Services as part of a partnership with state and federal agencies to add capacity to the Local Response Network and improve access to coronavirus testing. The lab will serve several counties in North Texas and test samples from providers.
Dallas County Health and Human Services is monitoring 100 potential coronavirus cases for a disease that has recently been announced to have a 3.4 percent mortality rate by the World Health Organization. There are around 94,000 cases around the world, with 127 cases in the United States and 11 in Texas, all in San Antonio, according to The Dallas Morning News.
“We have dramatically strengthened Dallas County’s testing capability over the last five years and this specific testing capacity will decrease our test turnaround from 72 hours to less than a day,” said Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins via release.
The clinic fits into the preparedness plans already in place for Dallas County, which include public and private health providers.
“While there are no confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in Dallas County, we are taking the risk of an outbreak very seriously and are preparing for any level of response that may be needed,” says DCHHS Director Dr. Philip Huang via release. “The ability for us to test for coronavirus locally here in Dallas County is essential for our preparedness efforts and ability to rapidly respond to this evolving situation.”
Read more from the Centers for Disease Control about how to best prevent and treat the illness.
