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UrduAACC commends Congress for responding to the concerns of the clinical laboratory community and including $25 billion in the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act that is broadly marked for expanding the nation’s coronavirus testing capacity.
Tag: COVID-19 testing
Fred Hutch launches new COVID-19 volunteer study
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center is launching a new COVID-19 research project called CovidWatch. This volunteer longitudinal study, aims to answer some of the most important questions about COVID-19
The Federal Government Must Act on Supply Chains to Enable COVID-19 Testing in High Volumes
With shortages of test components and swabs, labs still face huge obstacles to COVID-19 testing. With new White House guidelines reliant on more testing, AACC is urging the administration to find and coordinate resources so lab experts can do their jobs.
Coronavirus Testing Begins at the Weizmann Institute of Science
On April 12, the Weizmann Institute began using its cutting-edge PCR facilities to perform coronavirus testing after an agreement was reached with Israel’s Ministry of Health.
The Need for FDA to Regulate Poorly Performing Commercial COVID-19 Tests Should Not Hinder Laboratory-Developed Tests
In the wake of FDA’s decision to loosen its emergency use authorization criteria for COVID-19 tests, reports have now been surfacing about unreliable commercial COVID-19 serological tests. While this is a major concern, AACC wants to emphasize that these problematic commercial tests are not the same as laboratory-developed tests–and that we still strongly support FDA’s decision to step back from regulating lab-developed tests for COVID-19.
Coriell Institute for Medical Research Fills Gaps in COVID-19 Testing Materials Supply
Answering the growing need for additional testing, and in direct response to shortages encountered in testing kit supply pipelines, the Coriell Institute for Medical Research is now offering services to create viral testing collection tubes containing different media and/or buffer formulations, for use in COVID-19 testing kits. Coriell is also exploring the feasibility of saliva as a means for testing for the new coronavirus.
College of American Pathologists launches quality control program for COVID-19
The College of American Pathologists (CAP), in response to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, released a new proficiency testing (PT) program for the detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS CoV-2).
BIDMC physician-scientists spearhead effort to address nationwide COVID-19 testing swab shortage
As the numbers of patients with confirmed and suspected COVID-19 in the United States continue to rise exponentially, physician-researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), part of Beth Israel Lahey Health, launched a collaborative and open-source effort to address the shortage of swabs that is hampering the nation’s ability to test for and track the spread of the virus. The team’s mission is to catalyze the development and clinical validation of novel designs for swabs for COVID-19 testing that can be manufactured quickly and in large numbers.
West Virginia University launches online map of COVID-19 testing sites in West Virginia
The Office of Health Services Research, in the West Virginia University School of Public Health, has launched an online map that shows all COVID-19 testing sites in the Mountain State from Newell to Bluefield and all points in between
AACC Applauds the Senate for Updating Its Legislation to Ensure that All Patients Have Access to COVID-19 Testing
AACC applauds the U.S. Senate for responding to the concerns of the clinical laboratory community and revising the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to ensure that it provides insurance coverage for all COVID-19 tests, regardless of whether or not they are performed under an FDA emergency use authorization (EUA).
Hackensack Meridian Health’s Center for Discovery and Innovation COVID-19 Test Licensed to T2 Biosystems for Widespread Deployment
The diagnostic is a comprehensive test which will also complement diagnostics for common secondary infections
Rutgers New Jersey Medical School Research Team Participates in First External Evaluation of Groundbreaking Covid-19 Test
Rutgers University researchers have completed the first evaluation of a new rapid COVID-19 test, which was approved for emergency use by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The test, developed by CEPHEID, a U.S. molecular diagnostics company is very fast and easy to perform without the need for a centralized laboratory.
AACC Launches Directory of U.S. Labs That Are Performing COVID-19 Testing
To facilitate rapid identification of COVID-19 cases, AACC has launched a directory of U.S. clinical laboratories that are, or will be, performing testing for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. This directory is designed to help healthcare providers quickly find laboratories that can diagnose patients suspected to have COVID-19.
Pooling Method for Accelerated Testing of COVID-19
Israeli scientists have successfully tested a method for dramatically increasing current COVID-19 testing capacities. Known as pooling, the method enables simultaneous testing of dozens of samples. Its implementation could greatly accelerate testing and detection rates of infected patients in the population.
AACC Urges Congress to Ensure That All COVID-19 Tests Are Covered by Insurance Now That FDA Has Released Guidance That Will Expand Testing Access
On March 16, FDA updated its guidance on COVID-19 testing to allow clinical labs to create and perform COVID-19 tests without pursuing FDA emergency use authorization (EUA). AACC commends this decision, which will help speed the expansion of COVID-19 testing at this crucial time. However, the association remains concerned that the Families First Coronavirus Response Act does not provide coverage for COVID-19 tests unless the tests are performed under an EUA. AACC urges Congress to rectify this problem before passing the bill so that all patients will have access to coronavirus testing.
Wash your hands, clean your phone
As we look to minimize the spread of COVID-19 across the country, let’s not forget the mobile devices – the fomites – we carry around with us every day. Yes, wash your hands, but just as importantly, clean your phones.
Families First Coronavirus Response Act Would Prohibit Insurers from Paying for Some COVID-19 Tests
AACC greatly values the work that the U.S. House of Representatives has done to support American families in the midst of the coronavirus outbreak and is supportive of the goals of H.R. 6201, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. However, we are concerned that the language as currently drafted does not provide coverage for COVID-19 tests performed prior to those tests receiving Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the Food & Drug Administration (FDA).
‘This Is What Rush Was Built For’
Rush University Medical Center is officially operating in surge mode, as preparations for a potential sharp increase in patients with COVID-19 move into a new phase.