May 19, 2020
Henderson, N.C. [May 19, 2020] After six weeks of processing thousands of PCR COVID-19 tests, MAKO Medical Laboratories is expanding the company’s offerings to include two different COVID-19 antibody tests. The Abbott SARS-CoV-2 IgG and the Diasorin Liaison SARS-CoV-2 S1/S2 IgG tests are FDA approved and validated.
“We want everyone to be fully confident in our test methodology so they know MAKO Medical is using the top quality products that they expect,” says Steve Hoover, MAKO Medical’s Vice President of Laboratory Operations.
The PCR COVID-19 nasal swab test indicates if a person currently has the virus. The antibody tests require a blood sample and will tell if your body has produced antibodies as an immune response to the COVID-19 virus.
“All COVID-19 tests that we offer here at MAKO, we offer because we want to get people back to work safely,” said Kristin Harding, MAKO Medical’s Quality Assurance Director. “Personally, I’ve had some family members who haven’t worked in two months and they are starting to feel the pinch. We want to balance people working with personal safety.”
In addition to analyzing samples inside the MAKO laboratories, MAKO Medical is also deploying mobile units to areas around the Southeast to collect samples. A MAKO phlebotomy team recently made a stop at a business in South Carolina as workplaces in South Carolina prepare to reopen.
“We appreciated Mako Medical’s professionalism and quick test results to our law firm,” said Bakari Sellers, an attorney with the Strom Law Firm. “These antibody tests provide some peace of mind to some of our employees as our return to work process begins.”
“The more we can test, the more we can get in there and help local governments, help businesses, help manufacturers, help the meat packing plants so they can tell if their employees are infected or not,” said Hoover. “MAKO can come in and give you an answer in 24-48 hours offering peace of mind for employers and employees.”
MAKO Medical is currently processing 10,000 tests per day, with plans to increase that number to 25,000 over the next two weeks. In addition, MAKO has expanded its operations from 50 people working on one shift to 150 people working around the clock.
Hoover says that MAKO will continue to add instrumentation and employees to keep up with demand. “We are at the epicenter of clinical research and development – exciting times to be in the laboratory space and what a blessing it continues to be on all of us to be able to provide testing to so many.”
About MAKO Medical
Founded in 2014, MAKO Medical has become a diagnostics partner for businesses, physicians, urgent care facilities, and hospitals around the United States. Mako Medical Laboratories has recruited chemists and scientists to provide industry-leading innovation. Mako Medical Laboratories’ methods and assays are validated for reproducibility, precision, and accuracy. Mako Medical invests heavily in state-of-the-art instrumentation and technology. To learn more visit www.makomedical.com
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Contact: Casey Watson
(803) 253-8217
casey@npstrat.com
Photo: Sarah Tomlinson the South Carolina Mobile Phlebotomy Team leader for MAKO Medical prepares to draw a blood sample from Helen Rucker Sellers for a COVID-19 antibody test.