MONTVILLE, Conn. (WTNH) — Genysis Diagnostics (GD) in the Oakdale section of Montville is the first lab to perform COVID-19 tests in Connecticut. Other companies have thus far been sending their tests out of state.

GD has been around for about nine years and is family-owned. They have been working on respiratory viral panels for years, according to their CEO, so adding coronavirus testing is an easy transition.

We’ve been doing the respiratory viral panel for years and COVID just is a new test but it is part of our panel and so it wasn’t very hard for us to set it up. Because we are doing that kind of testing already.

– Suneeta Ahuja/Presiden & CEO, Genesys Diagnostics, Inc

Right now, GD is performing about 250 tests a day and has a capacity for 500/day.

Manager Divakar Ahuja says they are swamped.

Genesys does it in its Montville laboratory. Technicians wear protective gear and only open samples under an area protected by a hood that uses ultraviolet technology to sanitize the surfaces.

“We are following all the requirements so our employees are protected,” said Dr. Ahuja.

Results usually come back in a couple of days but can be completed in 24 hours if it is an emergency situation.

“We are working with local hospitals for their critically ill patients,” said Dr. Ahuja. “Now they’re also testing their employees.”

This local company is also thinking globally.

“That goes with the whole flattening the curve,” said Divakar Ahuja. “If you’re able to understand that you have it, even if you’re asymptomatic, then you can like keep away from infecting other people so that less people are infected until you recover.”

Genesys has the capacity to perform 500 tests a day and hopes to expand to 1,000 per day if it can get enough reagents, which is the chemicals needed to run the tests. 

“It’s really helpful to know that we can make a positive impact,” said Ahuja.