The state partnered with Nanticoke Hospital Thursday to host the first testing event using saliva-based tests made by the company Curative.
The state purchased 200,000 of these test kits.
Delaware Public Media’s Sophia Schmidt talks with Dr. Rick Hong of the Division of Public Health about the new tests and how they fit into the state’s plan to more than quadruple monthly testing as it moves toward gradual reopening.
More than 500 Delawareans got the test at the event in Seaford hosted by the state and Nanticoke Hospital Thursday.
The saliva-based tests can be self-administered in a patient’s car.
“You don’t have to use as much PPE [personal protective equipment] and you don’t have to expose healthcare workers to conduct the test,” said Agatha Bacelar, director of field operations at Curative, the company that makes and processes the tests.
The Curative tests have been used in seven cities or states since March.
Bacelar says more than half of the people tested in Seaford Thursday had registered beforehand online. She says that is advised for this test.
“It certainly helps the people setting up the test sites expect the demand of people who will be coming through so that each site is staffed appropriately,” she said. “It also helps space out the appointments, so we have a certain number of appointments available for every 30 minutes, so ... we can help smooth over the traffic.”
“In terms of speed, it certainly helps because you’re already registered online,” she added. “We have your information ready to go. You’re in our system.”
Patients who take the Curative test are also notified of their result by email. But Bacelar says pre-registering online is not absolutely necessary.
“If you show up at a test site, you won’t be turned away,” she said. “Everyone can get tested if they would like.”
Bacelar says clinical trials performed in collaboration with UCLA show the Curative tests are more sensitive than the nose swab-style tests.
“Our Curative oral swab test is about 89 percent sensitive to picking up the virus,” she said. “That’s compared to, let’s say, the [nasopharyngeal] test, which was 79 percent.”
The Curative tests are currently being processed in the company’s lab outside of Los Angeles.
The state purchased 200,000 Curative tests as part of its plan to ramp up to 80,000 tests per month — more than four times the current level of testing in Delaware, officials say. Gov. Carney said Friday the tests cost $30 million dollars and would be paid by federal CARES Act funds.
Dr. Rick Hong of the State’s Division of Public Health says the Curative test is just one of several testing modalities the state is deploying based on the needs of different populations.
The state has also started a program of universal testing at long-term care facilities, which have seen the majority of the state’s virus-related deaths.
Another Curative testing event is planned for Middletown High School Thursday, May 21, from 10 a.m.- 2 p.m.
This story has been updated and corrected to reflect that the testing in Middletown will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The story initially reported 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Delaware Public Media apologies for the error.
