The Ministry of Health has advised laboratories and PHOs that COVID exit testing for repatriation to other countries  (i.e. pre-departure testing) will not be funded by the NZ government.

People registering for repatriation flights departing NZ will be made aware of any requirements around pre-departure testing by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) and airlines.

Test and Payment Process
Travellers will need to contact their medical practice to arrange testing. COVID swabbing will still take place at the medical practice. 

• Please ensure testing occurs at least 3 days before departure
• Clinical Details: must include relevant details on the test request form such as "Pre-Departure COVID-19 Test", "Asymptomatic COVID test", "Clearance", etc.  This allows the laboratory to identify the purpose of testing. 

There are two patient payment options for testing :

Option 1 : Patient to pay entire swabbing & testing fee to Medical Centre. Wellington SCL to invoice medical centre at end of the month to recover the lab testing fee ($120 excl GST, or $138 incl GST)

Option 2 : Patient to pay the swab collection fee component to medical practice, then patient to deliver their swab (with lab form) and pay testing fee at one of the selected WSCL Collection Centres (Lower Hutt, Courtenay Place, Porirua, Lincoln Road)

Referrers will be guided through the process when they select the COVID test in the laboratory e-order system.

For further information please contact info.commercial@healthscope.co.nz , or phone (04) 586 8571
 

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From 24^th June 2020 swabs from a new manufacturer (Noble Bio) will be distributed for COVID-19 testing. The package contains two swabs, one for taking nasopharyngeal swabs (the thinner-tipped swab) and an oropharyngeal swab (the larger swab). Only the nasopharyngeal swab needs to be sent for to the lab for testing.
 
Some practices will still have swabs from other manufacturers in stock, which can still be used. Please use this simple guide:
 
Sampling for COVID-19:

• Preferred: single nasopharyngeal swab placed in viral transport medium, any of these swabs acceptable:
  • Noble Bio swab with red-capped tube (use the thinner of the two supplied swabs)
  • Fort Richard yellow-capped tube
  • COPAN red-capped tube
• Alternative (Unable to do nasopharyngeal swab): swab oropharynx followed by pernasal swab, using the same swab, using:
  • Noble Bio swab with red-capped tube (use the larger of the two supplied swabs)
  • YOCON swab with red-capped tube

Please click here to download the instruction sheet

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From 6th July 2020 Wellington SCL will change anti-TSH receptor antibody assay to a more biotin-resistant assay on our Roche COBAS platform (biotin supplements should no longer cause false elevation). The measurement principles, and antibodies used in the assay, are otherwise the same.

The new assay shows excellent precision and linearity, including at low levels within and close to the reference interval. However, our in house comparisons have reproducibly shown a slight positive bias at all levels compared with the existing assay (of about 0.26 U/L).

The new assay has a normal range of up to 1.75 U/L, but includes a borderline range of 1.76-2.0 U/L to allow for the slight bias of the new assay compared to the old one.

Clinical correlation and other diagnostic methods remain important in establishing a diagnosis of Graves disease.
 
For further information please contact our Immunology Department
Immunology.shared@wellingtonscl.co.nz

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