City Scales Up Homemade Testing Capacity and Antibody Tests for First Responders

May 18, 2020

New Yorkers can find their closest COVID-19 testing site at nyc.gov/CovidTest

NEW YORK—Mayor de Blasio announced today that the first "Made in NYC" test kits are now in use at NYC Health + Hospital community testing sites citywide. By the end of this week, more than 60,000 test kits will be delivered, building on the City's commitment to rapidly expand its testing and tracing operation.

"We are moving full steam ahead to build a massive testing apparatus from the ground up," said Mayor Bill de Blasio. "Widespread testing is the key to re-opening our city, and we are using every resource at our disposal to ensure we get there safely."

"Testing is critical to the health of New Yorkers and the future of our economy," said James Patchett, president and CEO of the New York City Economic Development Corporation. "We took matters into our own hands by building our own tests kits. Innovations like these will lead our city and our country through this crisis."

Made in NY Test Kits

Led by the New York City Economic Development Corporation (EDC), the development of these test kits is the result of local institutions across the Bronx, Brooklyn and Manhattan coming together in an unprecedented effort.

Manhattan-based  Print Parts, an additive manufacturing company, is producing up to 100,000 3D printed swabs a week while the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx is producing transport medium based on a CDC recipe. The swabs and transport medium are the critical components in the production of test kits.

These components are then assembled into completed kits by Collab, a Brooklyn-based fabrication lab. Last week, more than 5,000 test kits were delivered to community testing sites and 60,000 kits will be ready to deliver this week.

Antibody Testing

Beginning today, first responders and healthcare personnel are eligible to receive antibody testing through a partnership with CDC. Testing has already started for OCME staff, and others who are eligible can sign up at FirstSeroSurveyNYC.com.

MISC-C Update

To align with new CDC definition of PMIS—now called multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) —the Health Department will review all PMIS cases over the past two weeks to ensure alignment with the new case criteria. An updated number of cases will be released later this week.

Currently, there are 145 patients that met the initial PMIS definition, with 67 of those cases testing positive for COVID-19 by diagnostic or serology tests. There has been one fatality.

The CDC can now confirm a link to COVID-19. Parents should watch for the following symptoms and seek care immediately if your child has:

• Persistent fever
• Irritability or sluggishness
• Abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting
• Rash
• Conjunctivitis (red or pink eyes)
• Enlarged lymph node "gland" on neck
• Red cracked lips or red tongue
• Swollen hands and feet