Sema4, Stamford, Conn, has formed a partnership with the state of Connecticut to provide testing for covid-19. The company will provide viral and antibody testing in Connecticut for state employees, first responders, long-term care facilities, and primary-care facilities, among others.
Sema4 is expanding its current covid-19 viral testing capacity to 10,000 tests per day. The company will also offer antibody testing to identify people who have already been exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 virus and have mounted an immune response, with the ability to process 5,000 antibody tests per day by the end of June.
To aid employers in managing back-to-work programs, Sema4 will also provide a more complete, end-to-end digital solution for those ordering and receiving such tests, including portals for registering employees, tracking samples, and reporting results to providers, patients, and state health authorities.
“Sema4 is playing a critical role in supporting the state with testing capacity,” says Lt. Col. Christopher Chabot, leader of the Connecticut state covid testing program. “We are very fortunate to have Sema4 as a partner with industry-leading testing experience, state-of-the-art digital tools and analysis, outstanding clinical expertise, and the labs to be able to ramp up covid-19 testing quickly. Our partnership with Sema4 will make a significant difference in keeping many of our residents safe, including numerous people who are particularly vulnerable to infection.”
“We are proud that Connecticut has selected us as a partner to fight the coronavirus pandemic,” says Eric Schadt, PhD, founder and chief executive officer of Sema4. “As a health intelligence company, we will fully leverage our technical expertise in delivering rapid and accurate covid-19 testing to deliver a state-of-the-art digital solution for the ordering, tracking, analysis, and viewing of test results for providers and patients.
“Our team is working relentlessly to provide expanded viral and antibody testing to support state employees, first responders, and all Connecticut residents who need testing during this public health crisis,” adds Schadt. “We are also engaging with large employers in the state to support their efforts to reopen offices by offering our digital tools and testing to support safe and healthy workplace environments.”
The covid-19 viral tests used by Sema4 are manufactured by PerkinElmer, and the antibody tests are run on the Abbott Alinity system. Results are returned within approximately 24 hours of receiving the sample for the viral test, and within around 48 hours for the antibody test.
For more information, visit Sema4.
