The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Middletown drive-up clinic offers saliva-based COVID-19 test invented in Branford
MIDDLETOWN — City health and other officials visited Middletown’s newest COVID-19 testing site on Thursday, where locally invented, drive-up saliva tests are being administered to the public for the first time.
At Cross Street AME Zion Church, 440 West St., Mayor Ben Florsheim said it was the first saliva test he had taken since the start of the pandemic, adding that it was much easier than those involving a nasal swab. “I know people that are almost phobic of the nose one,” he said.
Acting Health Director Kevin Elak spoke about the importance of having easy access to testing, especially as new variants continue to emerge.
“With the delta variant, the symptoms are much milder, especially for people who are vaccinated,” Elak said. “We encourage every
one if they are experiencing any symptoms to get tested.”
People might dismiss their mild symptoms as a cold or allergies, he said, however, those individuals might be more inclined to get tested if it’s convenient.
Quick and easy testing is more important now that many employers are mandating the vaccine, the mayor said.
“Those that choose not to get vaccinated will likely have to submit to weekly testing,” Florsheim said. “It’s becoming just as important as it was in the beginning.”
Mark Kidd, laboratory director for Wren Laboratories, is the inventor of this test used at the new site. He said that between 70 and 80 percent of the individuals who are tested are doing so for work reasons, and, already, there are some regulars at the site. They include police officers, school bus drivers, and school-age children not yet eligible for the vaccine.
“Essentially, we’re keeping Connecticut running,” Kidd said.
He and his team developed this new type of test at their laboratory in Branford. It test differs from other saliva-based tests in that it includes a liquid stabilizer that immediately kills any virus in the saliva sample, but does not diminish the virus RNA levels. This allows for accurate results no matter how long it takes for the sample to be tested, Kidd said.
Since the lab is in Branford, samples are processed nearby, and results can be made available in 24 hours.
None of this would be possible without the church, also the location of a weekly vaccination clinic. The Rev. Moses Harvill said the church made its property available throughout the pandemic in an effort to bring hope to the community.
“We’re trying to meet needs, and this is one of the greatest needs I’ve seen in our community in my lifetime,” Harvill said. The church is a safe, trusting place where people feel comfortable, he added.
The Rev. Robyn Anderson is executive director of the Ministerial Health Fellowship, which works against health disparities and advocates for those disproportionately affected by the pandemic.
She echoed Harvill’s statement. “People feel safe and secure at the church,” Anderson said.
The new drive-up testing site, located in the church parking lot, runs Tuesdays from 3 to 6 p.m., Thursdays from 9 a.m. to noon, and Saturdays from 1 to 4 p.m. No appointment is necessary.
For information, visit the health office website at middletownct.gov.