Sally Furniss
Well-known member
Demand puts lab into a fever
By NATALIE AKOORIE - Health reporter - Waikato Times
Last updated 05:00 20/06/2009
Waikato Hospital pathologists have tripled the capacity for testing for swine flu as the tally of new cases continues to climb.
Up until the middle of this week the hospital lab one of five around the country testing for the influenza virus had been managing up to nine tests a day. It is now testing up to 30 cases a day.
While the region has so far avoided widespread swine flu infection, Waikato Hospital is regarded as an important centre for testing.
When the Waikato Times visited the laboratory this week staff were flat out testing samples couriered from around the country.
Waikato had only two scientists capable of conducting the molecular testing for swine flu after two others had left the virology lab in the past month.
Clinical microbiologist Chris Mansell said at least one of the remaining scientists had been working long hours and every Saturday since the virus began appearing in New Zealand in late April, to clear the backlog of work it had created.
Each swine flu test takes about three hours but Dr Mansell said the turnaround time was 24 hours if the sample stayed in Hamilton and 48 hours if it was sent to Environmental and Scientific Research in Wellington.
"Some of the main delays are getting the specimen to the lab and organising to get it done. We can only test a limited number here and we also send (between 10 and 20 a day) to Wellington."
Some suspected swine flu samples were not tested simply because there wasn't enough manpower to do them and Dr Mansell decided which made the cut based on advice from Waikato District Health Board's medical officer of health Dr Anita Bell.
"She has to work out whether to have them quarantined, whether to treat them, whether to trace their contacts, and often without the lab results to help her. She sends us a list a couple of times a day of her highest priority to get results for."
The laboratory has had to re-prioritise other tests it routinely carries out for chlamydia, herpes, legionella and meningitis.
"We're currently overloaded. This is extra testing on top of what we normally do."
Dr Mansell said it was hoped the lab would be fully staffed again within a month with one new scientist starting this week and another due to arrive soon.
"It's a highly specialised area so you can't just recruit someone from another part of the lab to do it."
Waikato Hospital was also conducting swine flu tests for the Bay of Plenty and Lakes District health boards.
Other labs carrying out swine flu testing were at Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch hospitals, some of which were working two shifts a day to keep up with demand.
Dr Mansell said the number of swine flu tests ordered at Waikato Hospital had gone up sharply since last weekend.
Almost 170 samples were tested over the nine days since June 9.
By NATALIE AKOORIE - Health reporter - Waikato Times
Last updated 05:00 20/06/2009
Waikato Hospital pathologists have tripled the capacity for testing for swine flu as the tally of new cases continues to climb.
Up until the middle of this week the hospital lab one of five around the country testing for the influenza virus had been managing up to nine tests a day. It is now testing up to 30 cases a day.
While the region has so far avoided widespread swine flu infection, Waikato Hospital is regarded as an important centre for testing.
When the Waikato Times visited the laboratory this week staff were flat out testing samples couriered from around the country.
Waikato had only two scientists capable of conducting the molecular testing for swine flu after two others had left the virology lab in the past month.
Clinical microbiologist Chris Mansell said at least one of the remaining scientists had been working long hours and every Saturday since the virus began appearing in New Zealand in late April, to clear the backlog of work it had created.
Each swine flu test takes about three hours but Dr Mansell said the turnaround time was 24 hours if the sample stayed in Hamilton and 48 hours if it was sent to Environmental and Scientific Research in Wellington.
"Some of the main delays are getting the specimen to the lab and organising to get it done. We can only test a limited number here and we also send (between 10 and 20 a day) to Wellington."
Some suspected swine flu samples were not tested simply because there wasn't enough manpower to do them and Dr Mansell decided which made the cut based on advice from Waikato District Health Board's medical officer of health Dr Anita Bell.
"She has to work out whether to have them quarantined, whether to treat them, whether to trace their contacts, and often without the lab results to help her. She sends us a list a couple of times a day of her highest priority to get results for."
The laboratory has had to re-prioritise other tests it routinely carries out for chlamydia, herpes, legionella and meningitis.
"We're currently overloaded. This is extra testing on top of what we normally do."
Dr Mansell said it was hoped the lab would be fully staffed again within a month with one new scientist starting this week and another due to arrive soon.
"It's a highly specialised area so you can't just recruit someone from another part of the lab to do it."
Waikato Hospital was also conducting swine flu tests for the Bay of Plenty and Lakes District health boards.
Other labs carrying out swine flu testing were at Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch hospitals, some of which were working two shifts a day to keep up with demand.
Dr Mansell said the number of swine flu tests ordered at Waikato Hospital had gone up sharply since last weekend.
Almost 170 samples were tested over the nine days since June 9.