ClearStar, a provider of Human Capital Integrity℠ technology-based services specializing in background and medical screening, announces the relaunch of its testing service aimed at supporting employers with their COVID-19 return-to-work planning and keeping their workforce safe. The revamped service has received official U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) Emergency Use Authorization (“EUA”) and is provided by ClearStar’s Medical Information Services (“MIS”) business through Clinical Reference Laboratory, Inc. (“CRL”), one of the largest privately held clinical testing laboratories in the U.S.
Employees receive the CRL Rapid Response™ kit, which is a saliva-based molecular diagnostic test to determine if the virus is active. Employees then register the test online and complete a questionnaire. Samples are self-collected by the employee and sent back to the CRL lab for testing. Those testing positive, meaning they are currently infected with COVID-19, will automatically be contacted by a licensed doctor to discuss the results and next steps. Any employee displaying symptoms also receives instructions on self-isolation.
The company’s customers are able to order the tests through its MIS division. Test collection kits are shipped either in bulk to the employer or direct to the employees (or job applicants). The results of the tests are reported via the ClearStar platform within 24-48 hours, on average, of the samples being received by the lab and are provided in the same format, based on employer preference, as the customer receives their other drug or background screening reports from the company.
Robert Vale, CEO of ClearStar, said: “With employers across the globe still struggling to get people into work quicker while maintaining public safety, we are proud to be able to offer an updated, FDA-EUA COVID-19 testing service. And by re-partnering with Clinical Reference Laboratory, whose tests are easy to self-administer, we can continue to offer a reliable and quick turnaround. This new service—alongside our existing suite of mobile screening solutions—will help employers make more confident hiring and return-to-work decisions.”