PNP continues to try to stay ahead of the needs of our patients with regards to coronavirus testing. As we move through the summer and towards the fall, we recognize that there will be increased needs for testing. This testing can take several different forms, and we recommend that if you have questions, please give our office a call to set up an appointment with one of our physicians to discuss in detail.
We are pleased to announce that we have the capability to perform the state of the art saliva PCR testing in our office. This is the test that Rutgers University created months ago and is FDA approved for PCR testing for active Covid-19 infection. This can be done on children approximately 5 years old and up (they need to be able to spit into a tube, filling it with 2 ml of saliva). Our current typical turn-around time for this test is expected to be 3-4 days, but this may change as testing volume increases. For the younger children and those unable to do the saliva test, we continue to have nasal swabs available and can send these to the commercial laboratory your insurance participates with (either Quest or LabCorp). As case numbers continue to be problematic in large swaths of the country, test results can take some time to come back, upwards of 7-14 days at this time It’s important to discuss your needs with your physician at the time of your appointment. In addition, we continue to be able to perform antibody tests through blood draws in our office, looking for evidence of past infection.
We know these are confusing and stressful times, but please know that we are here for you and your children as we navigate the next phases of this pandemic together. If you have any questions, please call our office to schedule an appointment with one of our physicians to discuss your children’s testing needs.
We continue to strive to provide your children with the pediatric care we’d expect for our own kids.
The Physicians of PNP