LENEXA, Kan. — Clinical Reference Laboratory in Lenexa is joining the fight to combat COVID-19.
"Last night (Thursday) we got approval for our saliva based COVID test," said Robert Thompson, chief executive officer at Clinical Reference Laboratory. "This is an at-home collective test where you literally just spit into a tube and mail it into the laboratory."
Once a sample arrives, the lab will test it. Thompson said results are given within 24-48 hours via their app.
"We've automated the process so that it's really a matter of having the equipment online and most of it is run by robots that are supervised by professionals," Thompson said.
The Kansas-based company currently is working with local companies and colleges to supply the tests. In a few weeks, they plan to expand dramatically.
Thompson said the lab can perform up to 20,000 tests per day and hope to get to 50,000 soon.
This is a big goal, he said, but the company sees the current struggle the Kansas City metro and other states are in and wants to help combat the virus.
"We have to learn how to live with this until we have a vaccine," Thompson said.
More information about Clinical Reference Laboratory and its COVID-19 test kits can be found on the lab's website.
