Issue

The race is on to develop innovative tests that rapidly and accurately detect SARs-CoV-2. The launch of the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostic Technologies (RADx Tech) program in late April and other recent initiatives underscores this activity. Manufacturers have sprung into action to produce accessible and…

Gaps in testing and treatment during prenatal care lead to 1 in 2 newborn syphilis cases in the United States, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports in a new analysis. To effectively monitor for rising cases of syphilis infection, the agency is recommending that testing occur…

International protests sparked by the death of George Floyd while in the custody of four Minneapolis police officers are compelling societies worldwide to consider their commitments to racial equality. Healthcare organizations are no exception. “In the wake of SARS-CoV-2, another virus has been exposed in the U.S. Just as COVID-19…

Appointing interdisciplinary committees to manage point-of-care testing (POCT) is key to successfully implementing and maintaining these devices, according to new guidance from AACC. The organization urges collaboration between labs and clinicians to make this happen. “Laboratory professionals contribute invaluable expertise on the benefits and limitations of the tests themselves, while…

SARS-CoV-2 serology tests don’t necessarily live up to their hype as a diagnostic and screening tool, caution two experts in Clinical Chemistry. Christopher W. Farnsworth, PhD, and Neil W. Anderson, MD, D(ABMM), of the Washington University School of Medicine Department of Pathology in St. Louis, advise that clinical labs do…

A meta-analysis of 35 studies pinpoints the lab values that could help predict the course of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Lymphocytes, C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), D-dimer, and other inflammatory, organ function, and cardiac markers might flag risk and poor outcomes in severely ill patients.