NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- Quest Diagnostics -- one of the country's largest lab operators -- said on Thursday it will launch its own coronavirus test service next week.
"With the new service, Quest Diagnostics will provide access to a COVID-19 test service for patients in the United States," the Secaucus, N.J.-based company said in a press release. "The new test service aids the presumptive detection of nucleic acid in respiratory specimens of patients meeting CDC's clinical criteria for COVID-19 testing," the Secaucus, N.J.-based company said in a press release.
Quest said it will be able to provide testing on Monday.
The new test service will be provided as a laboratory developed test, pending review by the FDA under emergency use authorization (EUA) which the company will submit per FDA guidance within 15 days of clinical testing.
"In times of national health crises, quality laboratory testing is absolutely critical to mobilizing effective public health response," said Steve Rusckowski Chairman, CEO and President, Quest Diagnostics. "Quest's national scale, diagnostic expertise and innovation, and relationships with half the country's physicians and health systems is a vital complement to the efforts of the CDC and other public health labs to contend with a growing number of suspected COVID-19 cases in the United States. We applaud the FDA for providing the flexibility for innovative, quality lab developed tests to be brought to patients and providers quickly to advance effective response to the coronavirus outbreak."
For more information, visit Quest's coronavirus page at www.questdiagnostics.com/home/Coronavirus/.
