Columbia lab sees increasing COVID-19 testing and positive rate
COLUMBIA Mo. (KMIZ)
A Columbia lab said Monday that COVID-19 positive rates are increasing along with testing volume.
Tim McCarty, a spokesperson for PTC Labs, says the company has seen an increase in testing and positive results.
"We've significantly increased testing to meet the needs from the community in recent weeks," McCarty said. Those demands include increased sampling from hospitals, from the state via community testing events and from the private sector as businesses have employees tested.
McCarty says the lab is processing 1,500 to 2,000 tests per day compared to the 700 per day it was testing in March.
"Testing numbers here are expected to rise again this week based on recent trends," McCarty said.
PTC labs is seeing about a 4.5 percent positives rate over the last 14 days compared to a 3.3 percent positive rate since testing started on March 19.
McCarty cautioned that PTC's testing numbers should not be considered representative of the state or the local community.
The lab takes samples from around the state.
While testing has been on the rise locally and statewide, positive test rates have also steadily increased in Boone County. The rate was 16 percent for the week ended Thursday after starting June at less than 1 percent, according to data posted on the local health department's COVID-19 information hub.
University of Missouri Health Care opened a second drive-thru testing site Monday to accommodate the increased demand for testing.
MU Health spokeswoman Jesslyn Chew said during the week of July 5, the testing site near the MU softball stadium tested roughly 650 patients per day resulting in hour-long wait times.
The 650 tests per day was up from 300 per day the week before.
The new mobile testing site will be open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday-Friday and 8 a.m. to noon Saturday at Mizzou North, 115 Business Loop 70 W.
MU Health is changing the way people get their COVID-19 test results if the test result is negative. Rather than getting a phone call with results, patients will be able to get them online through MU Health's portal within 72 hours of testing.
Anyone who tests positive will still get a phone call within one or two days.
Check back or watch ABC 17 News at 5 and 6 for more on this developing story.
