On June 15, 2020, the Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) updated its guidance regarding COVID-19 specimen collection and submission, which includes a quick reference guide on proper nasopharyngeal (NP) swab specimen collection. If a long-term care facility would like to submit a specimen to the ISDH for processing outside of the June testing effort for nursing facility staff, the ISDH requires all COVID-19 test requisitions to be submitted through its Laboratory Information Management System (LimsNet). Through LimsNet, the specimen will be directed to be sent to the ISDH’s laboratory or other labs within the state’s network.
The guidance specifies that nasopharyngeal (NP) swabs are the preferred specimen type. The guidance also provides specific shipping instructions and timeframes. Results will be available within three (3) days of specimen receipt. The testing results will only be reported back to the LimsNet submitter. The entirety of the guidance, including details for how to register with LimsNet, can be found here.