MADISON, WI (Wisconsin Radio Network) – Four additional patients in Wisconsin are being tested for coronavirus, and the state lab of hygiene hopes to speed up the testing process. The director, Doctor Pete Shult, tells 27 News that they have the tools. “The actual machinery, and the computer equipment that’s required, we already have in place,” Schult said.
Until now, all test samples have to be sent to the CDC. Results can take several days to get back. “Right now, the CDC in Atlanta is the only facility that’s doing testing,” Schilt said. “When we do the testing in-house, we’re going to trim that time back by a pretty significant margin.”
This week Wisconsin saw its first confirmed case of coronavirus; a person from Dane County who had traveled to China. There are six other patients who are awaiting test results.
