Pathologists at Michigan Health Find Evidence That COVID-19 Survivors Who Continue to Experience Respiratory Symptoms May Have Had Lung Disease Prior to Being Exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 Coronavirus

Feb 2, 2022 | Digital Pathology, Laboratory News, Laboratory Pathology, Laboratory Testing, Precision Medicine

These findings hint at the role of pre-existing conditions in raising the risk of an individual having a severe case of COVID-19 once infected At the University of Michigan, a team of pathologists have been researching the factors that might cause some patients infected by SARS-CoV-2 to suffer persistent respiratory problems, often described as “long COVID.” They have identified factors that place some individuals at higher risk for these problems. Little is known about how the SARS-CoV-2...

Does the 1918 Influenza Pandemic Teach Us Anything About How and When COVID-19 Will End?

Dec 29, 2021 | Clinical Laboratory/Pathology Automation, Analyzers, Testing Systems, Digital Pathology, Laboratory Instruments & Laboratory Equipment, Laboratory News, Laboratory Pathology, Laboratory Resources, Laboratory Testing, Precision Medicine

Experts weigh-in on the new Omicron variant, how pandemics conclude, and challenges ahead for clinical laboratories Could studying how the 1918 influenza pandemic ended teach pathologists and clinical laboratory professionals how and when the current COVID-19 pandemic may end as well? And does the new Omicron variant indicate that the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus has mutated into an endemic form of the disease? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the 1918 influenza...

Australian Company Launches At-Home Genetic Test in the US That Claims to Identify a Person’s ‘Risk’ for Contracting the SARS-CoV-2 Coronavirus. But What Science Supports the Test’s Ability to Accurately Assess Risk?

Jul 14, 2021 | International Laboratory News, Laboratory Pathology, Laboratory Testing, Molecular Diagnostics, Genetic Testing, Whole Gene Sequencing, Precision Medicine

Since all Americans have access to free COVID-19 vaccines, many pathologists and clinical lab managers will ask if this test is even necessary. Some experts say “maybe” Here’s another example of genetic test developers who are willing to push boundaries and sell a diagnostic test directly to consumers that has some diagnostic experts and pathologists challenging its clinical validity. The test was developed by molecular diagnostics company Genetic Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ:GENE) of Melbourne,...

New Proposed Federal Rule Could Remove Requirement for Hospitals to Share Negotiated Medicare Advantage Rates with CMS

May 14, 2021 | Compliance, Legal, and Malpractice, Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology

CMS says it is responding to hospitals’ plea for relief from burdensome reporting requirements, but not altering federal price transparency laws Despite federal price transparency law that went into effect January 1 after a year-long court battle, some hospitals continue to balk at sharing their payer-negotiated rates for healthcare goods and services—including medical laboratory testing—claiming a variety of challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccine distribution, and other...

Gene Sequencing of COVID-19 Outbreak in Minnesota School System Guides Public Health Officials in Slowing Spread of the SARS-CoV-2 Coronavirus

May 12, 2021 | Laboratory News, Laboratory Pathology, News From Dark Daily

Data was used to create a transmission map that tracked the spread of infections among school athletes and helped public health officials determine where best to disrupt exposure Genomic sequencing played a major role in tracking a SARS-CoV-2 outbreak in a Minnesota school system. Understanding how and where the coronavirus was spreading helped local officials implement restrictions to help keep the public safe. This episode demonstrates how clinical laboratories that can quickly sequence...