Background Information:
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Shared Health laboratories generating a positive test for SARSCoV-2 (COVID-19) by GeneXpert® telephoned nursing units (inpatients and ER admits) with thepositive test result.

Update:
Starting December 1, 2024, Shared Health hospital laboratories will no longer telephone nursing units (inpatients and ER admits) with positive SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) test results in order to bring SARS-CoV-2 result reporting in-line with influenza A, influenza B, and RSV reporting. Nursing units are expected to review results for nasopharyngeal (NP) swabs submitted on symptomatic patients for the SARS-CoV-2 result as well as the results for influenza A, influenza B and RSV included in the GeneXpert® Quadruplex (SARS-CoV-2/Influenza A & B/RSV) PCR test.

Shared Health hospital laboratories currently provide GeneXpert® Quadruplex testing following the current provincial algorithm (https://sharedhealthmb.ca/files/covid-19-testing-table.pdf). 

Contact Information:
Dr. James Karlowsky, Medical Director, Clinical Microbiology, Shared Health, 204-237-2105, email
Joelle Carlson, Technical Director, Clinical Microbiology, Shared Health 204-237-2073, email

Submitted by: Tamara Burnham, Collaborative Practice Lead