Mark Adams, Ph.D., director of Microbial Genomic Services at The Jackson Laboratory
Connecticut’s Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz hosted a virtual conversation January 14th on the importance of testing and what lessons the state is learning to better prepare for future viruses.
MCG client, The Jackson Laboratory, was one of the partner labs joining the discussion. Mark Adams, Ph.D., director of Microbial Genomic Services, offered key insights during the conversation on what JAX has experienced and its priorities moving forward.
“Volume and demand has not diminished.”
While the vaccine is currently being administered in Connecticut, Jackson Labs had its two highest test days the week before the conversation was held. Adams says that Connecticut’s “volume and demand has not diminished” for testing.
Jackson Labs has become a force in testing, but it has been no easy feat. Adams described it as “turning a sailboat into a cruiseliner.” They went from a few dozen tests a week for non-covid related issues to handling about 20 percent of all the Covid-19 testing in the state. That translates to JAX having conducted about one million Covid-19 tests by the end of January 2021.
“Logistics are really important.”
With this demand, Jackson Labs and other testing partners have come to realize how critical logistical planning is to success. Adams believes that top priorities need to include identifying additional space for testing and training, and finding more room for storage.
“Those logistical issues are absolutely essential. Any one of those missing links can interrupt the whole process,” Adams said.
“Getting results a week later is really not helpful.”
Another key component to successful testing practices is returning test results quickly. “We have always prioritized a 24-hour turnaround time on tests,” Adams said. “Getting results a week later is really not helpful.”
He believes this is crucial so those who receive a test can avoid isolating themselves for long periods of time if they are negative and do not need to.
This is where Adams highlights Connecticut’s advantage: the state has strong local testing capability. While timelines for testing have improved nationally, it’s still faster to have a test done locally than to have it sent to another state.
“The virus has been evolving over time.”
Testing is not only important for individuals but it becomes a key way for scientists to track how the virus is evolving. Tracking using genome sequencing is what the United Kingdom did to recognize a new variant of the virus in its population. This new strain is much more transmissible and increasing in frequency.
“We’re really reaching a point where it may very well be important from both a personal and public health standpoint to be able to track these emerging viral lineages and understand what impact they might have on planning and for how we manage the pandemic,” Adams said.
He believes genome sequencing is an important component to that, but it is more expensive and complicated to run and analyze. However, it gives a “better window” into what is currently happening with the virus.
While the CDC has found that less than a half of one percent of those who test positive for Covid-19 have this new variant identified from the U.K., Adams says it’s important to keep an eye on it to make sure we understand how the virus is changing.
To learn more, watch: “COVID Testing in Connecticut: Past, Present, Future”