Walgreens Launches COVID-19 Index to Advance Rapid Detection of Omicron and Track Variant Activity by State
January 19 2022 - 8:02AM
Business Wire
Data captured in the Walgreens COVID-19 Index
tracks existing and emerging variants
The Walgreens COVID-19 Index, a new interactive tracking tool
from Walgreens, powered by testing data from Aegis Sciences
Corporation, is among the first to uniquely identify the spread of
current and emerging variants in near real-time. New data from the
Walgreens COVID-19 Index shows more than 95% of all positive
COVID-19 cases are presumed to be the Omicron variant. The data
reinforces the importance of vaccinations and testing in helping to
mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
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the full release here:
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Data captured in the Walgreens COVID-19 Index can track the
spread of the Omicron variant within 24 to 48 hours, more quickly
than other methods. In addition to a national view, data can be
reviewed by state. The Walgreens COVID-19 Index is based on
proprietary data from PCR testing services administered by
Walgreens and performed by its testing partner Aegis Sciences.
“Through Walgreens partnership with Aegis Sciences, we have the
ability to provide this interactive tracking tool and inform the
development of strategies and resources to help mitigate the spread
of COVID-19,” said Dr. Kevin Ban, chief medical officer for
Walgreens. “This provides a leading consumer-centric healthcare
solution to support our communities and partners, building on our
nationwide footprint and health offerings.”
Based on data analyzed as of Jan. 18, the following types of
insights are available from the Walgreens COVID-19 Index:
- Nationally, more than 95% of all positive cases are presumed to
be the Omicron variant
- Top states for COVID-19 positive rates are Alabama, Florida,
Georgia, Mississippi, South Dakota, Nevada and Texas, which all
have COVID-19 positivity rates over 45% of those tested
- Top states for confirmed Delta case prevalence are Maine
(43.5%), Kansas (36.5%), Iowa (29.2%), New Mexico (25.2%), Oklahoma
(24.2%), Indiana (23.6%) and Utah (23.5%)
“Data regarding spread of variants is important to our
understanding of viral transmission and, as new variants emerge, it
will be critical to continue to track this information quickly to
predict which communities are most at risk,” said Dr. Matthew
Hardison, senior vice president of lab operations at Aegis Sciences
Corporation. “We are pleased to partner with Walgreens to provide
testing, collaborate on data analysis and provide timely insights
that can help health departments curtail the COVID-19
pandemic.”
It remains critically important to get vaccinated or boosted
against COVID-19, and is safe and convenient to get a COVID-19
vaccine or booster at one of Walgreens nearly 9,000 locations. For
the best experience, patients are encouraged to make appointments
for COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters through
Walgreens.com/ScheduleVaccine or 1-800-WALGREENS.
Data will be updated frequently and provide a rolling snapshot
of the previous 7 days’ data based on analysis of positive tests at
more than 5,000 Walgreens testing locations. To view the
Walgreens COVID-19 Index, maps and other online features, click
here.
About the Walgreens COVID-19 Index
The Walgreens COVID-19 Index is the product of an innovative
pharmacy-laboratory collaboration focused on helping communities,
health professionals and the media stay informed about COVID-19
surveillance. The Walgreens COVID-19 Index is generated through the
combination of Walgreens nationally representative PCR testing
services with the associated PCR and Next-Generation Sequencing
(NGS) laboratory test results generated by Aegis Sciences. The
exhibits within the Index provide an overview of confirmed cases by
state, presumed Omicron cases in near real-time, variant
proportions over time and positivity rates by vaccination status.
Walgreens and Aegis Sciences Corporation have collaborated to offer
COVID-19 PCR testing at more than 5,000 Walgreens locations.
While generated from a large, nationally representative dataset,
the data presented in the Walgreens COVID-19 Index is only
reflective of real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain
reaction (RT PCR) and NGS results from samples collected at
specific Walgreens locations and tested by Aegis Sciences
Corporation. It does not incorporate information from other testing
modalities performed at or through Walgreens. Data regarding
vaccination status is derived from information supplied in the test
registration process by individuals that tested at Walgreens
locations. The amount of data available varies by geographic
location. All data presented in the Walgreens COVID-19 Index is
aggregated and de-identified to protect individuals’ privacy.
About Walgreens
Walgreens (www.walgreens.com) is included in the United States
segment of Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (Nasdaq: WBA), an
integrated healthcare, pharmacy and retail leader serving millions
of customers and patients every day, with a 170-year heritage of
caring for communities. As America’s most loved pharmacy, health
and beauty company, Walgreens purpose is to champion the health and
well-being of every community in America. Operating nearly 9,000
retail locations across America, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin
Islands, Walgreens is proud to be a neighborhood health destination
serving approximately 9 million customers each day. Walgreens
pharmacists play a critical role in the U.S. healthcare system by
providing a wide range of pharmacy and healthcare services. To best
meet the needs of customers and patients, Walgreens offers a true
omnichannel experience, with fully integrated physical and digital
platforms supported by the latest technology to deliver
high-quality products and services in local communities
nationwide.
About Aegis Sciences Corporation
Founded in 1990, Aegis Sciences Corporation is a laboratory
sciences company based in Nashville, Tenn., that provides
science-driven testing and consulting services to healthcare
providers, pharmaceutical companies, professional and amateur
sports organizations, leading college and university athletic
programs, Fortune 500 corporations, and government agencies
throughout the United States. Since launching COVID-19 testing in
April 2020, Aegis has quickly increased testing capacity to meet
the needs of communities across the United States. To date, Aegis
has performed over 11 million COVID-19 tests and is the leading
provider of SARS-CoV-2 genome sequencing results in the United
States. For more information, please visit
http://www.aegislabs.com/.
View source
version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220119005357/en/
Rebekah Pajak Walgreens Media Relations media@walgreens.com
Stephanie Protz Aegis Sciences Corporation
marketing@aegislabs.com
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