Benzinga | Aug 19, 2020 05:34AM EDT

CENTOGENE Opens Walk-In COVID-19 Testing Facility at Hamburg Airport

Centogene N.V. (NASDAQ:CNTG) announced today the opening of its new walk-in COVID-19 test facility at Hamburg Airport.

CENTOGENE is now offering coronavirus testing at Hamburg airport for all individuals who need to perform a COVID-19 test, including returning travelers from non-risk countries. Passengers can now be conveniently tested daily from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. CEST directly at the test center located at Terminal 1. The Hamburg walk-in COVID-19 test facility is also open to the general public. For more information, visit https://www.centogene.com/covid-19/test-centers/hamburg-airport.html

"Traveling is essential for both, our economy and society," said Dr. Volkmar Weckesser, CENTOGENE's Chief Information Officer. "By working together with Hamburg Airport, we have proven our blueprint works to continue facilitating widespread testing enabling safe international travel and preventing a further outbreak of the novel Coronavirus."

"We very much welcome that our passengers now have the opportunity to have themselves tested directly in Hamburg. In these special times, it is particularly important that travel is safe and yet comfortable," said Dr. Bjrn Becker, Senior Director Product Management Ground & Digital Services Lufthansa Group.

Dedicated to the Highest Quality Testing to Restore Air Travel

CENTOGENE is dedicated to providing quality testing to prevent a further outbreak and restore air travel. The test detects an infection of SARS-CoV-2 by detecting specific RNA molecules that originate from the genome of the disease-causing coronavirus. The diagnostic procedure includes: RNA extraction, transcription of the RNA into complementary DNA (cDNA) by means of reverse transcription, and amplification (multiplication) of virus-specific cDNA by means of polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The presence of cDNA in the amplification product shows that virus particles were in the sample, and thus indicates an active infection with SARS-CoV-2.

The method used is based on the published method by Prof. Drosten (Charit, Berlin). This test is referred to in the WHO documents as the "WHO Charit" test. The analytical steps and in particular the target sequences used to detect the viral RNA by RT-PCR correspond exactly to the publication by Corman, Bleicker, Brnink, Drosten, Landt, Koopmans, Zambon from January 17, 2020, and were validated in interlaboratory tests, as well as in cooperation with the laboratory by Prof. Drosten. The test has also been validated in CENTOGENE's CAP / CLIA / ISO certified analytical laboratory and has received Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use by authorized laboratories.

As part of the comprehensive test solution, individuals can register for testing using a secure SARS-CoV-2 Test Portal following stringent data privacy measures, while delivering time-sensitive diagnostics. CENTOGENE acts in compliance with the current specifications of GDPR (German Data Protection Regulation Datenschutzgrundverordnung') and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).