ACLA Update on COVID-19 Testing Capacity
WASHINGTON, D.C – Following a surge of new COVID-19 cases in the United States, ACLA President Julie Khani issued the following statement:
“ACLA member laboratories have seen a steady increase in the volume of COVID-19 test orders. While our members are collectively performing hundreds of thousands of tests each day, the anticipated demand for COVID-19 testing over the coming weeks will likely exceed members’ testing capacities. This significant increase in demand could extend turnaround times for test results.
Collectively, ACLA members have made significant strides to expand testing capacity, performing about 100,000 tests per day in early April to more than 300,000 tests per day currently. All across the country, clinical laboratories are increasing the number of labs processing tests, purchasing additional testing platforms and expanding the number of suppliers to provide critical testing materials. However, the reality of this ongoing global pandemic is that testing supplies are limited. Every country across the globe is in need of essential testing supplies, like pipettes and reagents, and that demand is likely to increase in the coming months. We are in active conversations with the Administration and supply partners about ways to address these challenges.
We encourage communities to heed the advice of public health officials, such as practicing safe social distancing and wearing masks in public. We know there’s more work to be done at this critical time, and ACLA member laboratories will continue to rise to the challenge.”
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ACLA is a not-for-profit association representing the nation’s leading clinical and anatomic pathology laboratories, including national, regional, specialty, hospital, ESRD and nursing home laboratories. The clinical laboratory industry employs nearly 295,000 people directly, and generates over 117,000 additional jobs in supplier industries. Clinical laboratories are at the forefront of personalized medicine, driving diagnostic innovation and contributing more than $106 billion to the nation’s economy.
