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MDI Hospital receives an anonymous donation of a new system that rapidly detects coronavirus

The hospital received a Cepheid GeneXpert Rapid Point-of-Care Testing System that can detect COVID-19 coronavirus in just 45 minutes.

BAR HARBOR, Maine — MDI Hospital in Bar Harbor received an anonymous donation of a Cepheid GeneXpert Rapid Point-of-Care Testing System earlier this week and has already begun using the system. The system allows hospital workers to more effectively diagnose, treat, and target COVID-19, coronavirus  infections which can help slow the spread of the disease.

“It takes approximately 45 minutes to get the result so that we can immediately screen patients, particularly those who are most at risk," Arthur Blank, President and CEO of MDI Hospital, said.

The rapid testing not only allows hospital workers to focus on patients who test positive but also saves workers from using more personal protective equipment than needed.

Credit: NCM

“What it allows us to do is not utilize personal protective equipment that is in such short supply," Blank added.

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“Our automated systems do not require users to have specialty training to perform testing," Cepheid president Warren Kocmond said in a press release sent out by the hospital. "They are capable of running 24/7, with many systems already doing so today.”

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At NEWS CENTER Maine, we’re focusing our news coverage on the facts and not the fear around the illness. To see our full coverage, visit our coronavirus section, here: /coronavirus

NEWS CENTER Maine Coronavirus Coverage

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