CDPHE to discontinue Curative testing for residential care facilities

 

To: Residential care facilities (Nursing Homes, Assisted Living Facilities, Group Homes, and Intermediate Care Facilities) From:  CDPHE CDPHE is discontinuing testing with Curative Labs this week due to concerns over the accuracy of their COVID-19 tests. The FDA issued a safety alert on January 4, 2020 advising healthcare providers and patients of the Curative Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test risking false negative results. While CDPHE stands by its decision to partner with Curative labs, the information that has been released by the FDA in recent weeks made it clear it was time to take our partnership to other laboratories. Surveillance testing will continue to be a key strategy to minimizing the spread of COVID-19, along with wearing a mask, hand washing, social distancing, and other proven techniques. CDPHE is executing a transition strategy to move all CDPHE supported testing currently being done by Curative to other labs. The transition strategy will prioritize facilities that are currently experiencing outbreaks. Additional information will be provided as it comes available and all residential care facilities will be offered state supported testing from a different laboratory. During the transition, there may be a short period of time when CDPHE will not offer state supported testing to all facilities. Facilities must continue proper infection control procedures. Health Facilities investigators will consider these changes and the lack of state supported testing when conducting inspections. Effective immediately, facilities may no longer use Curative labs for surveillance testing. Additional questions and answers can be found here.