First Combined Test For COVID-19, Influenza A & B Now Available In Metro Detroit

(CBS DETROIT) - Orchard Laboratories, headquartered in West Bloomfield, Mich. (7901 Orchard Lake Road, Suite 100), is the first private laboratory in metro Detroit to operate the new, TaqPath Multiplex Kit to test for SARS-CoV-2, Influenza A and Influenza B. The new assay was recently released by ThermoFisher. The test uses a single nasal swab to tests for all three viruses. Orchard Laboratories has been at the forefront of Covid-19 testing since the pandemic began, conducting up to 5000 RT-PCR tests per day; it expects in the coming weeks to ramp that number up to 8000 or more tests a day. RT-PCR test uses Real Time Polymerase Chain Reactions to detect RNA found in the COVID-19 virus in upper and lower respiratory specimens. Orchard Laboratories uses the ThermoFisher 7500DX and Quant Studio instruments to run COVID-19 tests 24-hours-a-day.

"We are proud to be able to expand our lab capabilities into a combined testing for COVID-19, Influenza A and Influenza B especially now as we move into a critical time with the three viruses," said Sami Ahmad, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Orchard Laboratories. "Since the start of the pandemic, we have worked diligently to increase our load capabilities to be able to increase the number of tests and rapid results for the community." Orchard labs will be able to provide the new test to physicians and other healthcare providers across metro Detroit.

Orchard Laboratories is open seven-days-a-week and is currently providing Covid-19 testing for more than 70 nursing homes across Michigan along with dozens of urgent cares, corporations, film sets, and other healthcare providers. As a leading toxicology laboratory, Orchard Laboratories met the pandemic head on by more than doubling its number of employed staff since March 2020.

Orchard Laboratories is a CLIA/COLA Accredited Facility meeting federal clinical laboratory standards. For more information, please go to www.orchard-labs.com

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About Orchard Laboratories
Orchard Laboratories is a state-of-the art specialty laboratory, founded in 2014, and located in West Bloomfield, in Southeastern Michigan. As a certified laboratory by CLIA (Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments) and COLA (Commission on Office Laboratory Accreditation), Orchard Laboratories provides quantitative testing in the areas of molecular diagnostics utilizing Real-Time PCR technology and toxicology with liquid chromatography.  The laboratory provides support services for drug testing, medication monitoring and viral/bacterial identification to hospital organizations, medical practices and clinics.  Orchard Laboratories' mission is to generate timely and precise results to aid clinical care.

SOURCE Orchard Laboratories

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