Small, private labs turning around COVID-19 testing in less than 48 hours

WINTER GARDEN, Fla. — Government leaders have said the key to reopening the economy is increased testing, and over the weekend, Gov. Ron DeSantis stressed the importance of independent labs in that equation.

But local laboratory owners say, despite being able to turn around tests within 48 hours, state leaders aren’t utilizing them. Investigative reporter Karla Ray spoke to one lab owner who’s already processing hundreds of COVID-19 tests a day for private businesses and doctors, ready to do more if the state requests help.

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At Physicians Stat Lab in Winter Garden, technicians would normally be processing blood samples for local doctors’ offices, but when that business slowed about a month ago, owners switched everything over to COVID-19. Now, in a room where staff used to process billing, there are dozens of swabs waiting to be tested for the coronavirus.

“Two-hundred fifty, 300 a day. A few days, we’ve done 500, and we get shipments from out of state, as well,” owner Nathan Hawkins said.

Hawkins said dozens of samples are brought in at a time, after kits are delivered to places like nursing homes and assisted living facilities for mass testing.

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“We’re able to help them move very quickly, 24 to 48 hours, instead of 10 days later,” Hawkins said about turnaround time.

Hawkins says because his lab shifted its entire focus to COVID-19, his staff is able to process swabs more quickly than those coming from government-funded testing sites. Swabs from sites like the Convention Center in Orange County are sent out of town before being tested, and results can take several days.

“I think the value is just allowing them to get information quickly, to take a big deep breath and say, I know where I stand now,” Hawkins said.

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Hawkins says despite labs like his having the ability to provide answers more quickly, state leaders aren’t leaning on them. That’s something he hopes will change, both to bolster his business, and to get more people their results and peace of mind as we power through this pandemic.

“I think the best thing states can do, our state specifically, is contact any labs, find out their capacity to do the testing, and help them ramp up quickly,” Hawkins said. “Having that anxiety, and not knowing the results, is really stressful.”

Right now, Physicians Stat Lab is only testing swabs from people who have a doctor’s referral. The cost is $100.

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