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Quest Diagnostics received on Tuesday Emergency Use Authorization from the US Food and Drug Administration for its SARS-CoV-2 rRT PCR test. The issuance allows Quest to provide the test for individuals suspected by their healthcare providers of having COVID-19.

Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker pledged Thursday morning that Massachusetts would soon see an “enormous increase” in testing for coronavirus as he acknowledged that the state’s capacity to screen people remained far below what was needed to blunt the local impact of the pandemic. Baker spoke to reporters after touring the private laboratory at Quest Diagnostics, which plans to rapidly ramp up its coronavirus testing. By next week, Quest hope to preform 2,000 to 3,000 tests a day at its facility in Marlborough, according to its chief executive officer, Steve Rusckowski, who joined Baker at the press conference

Quest Diagnostics Inc. made coronavirus tests available on Monday in California as part of a broader roll-out meant to dramatically expand the U.S.’s capacity to identify new cases. The company’s effort began when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave companies greater leeway to develop their own tests Feb. 29, Chief Executive Officer Steve Rusckowski said in an interview. Quest sprang into action, obtaining specimens of the virus from South Korea, he said.

As Nevada manages the possible spread of the coronavirus, Gov. Steve Sisolak today announced the federal government has provisionally approved testing for the virus at commercial labs throughout the state.Sisolak at a late morning briefing said Quest Diagnostics and LabCorp will be able to test for COVID-19 in the “near future,” joining the Nevada State Public Health Laboratory at UNR and the Southern Nevada Public Health Laboratory, which each already has conducted a handful of tests leading to at least 14 negative results as of Friday.

U.S. government officials say a million promised tests for diagnosing coronavirus infections will soon be in the mail. But that still leaves many state and local laboratories without the ability to test for the virus, crucial for curbing its spread around the country.[CR-LF][CR-LF]Some states have developed their own tests. Clinical testing companies are now joining the ranks. LabCorp announced March 5 that physicians or other authorized health care providers could already order its test. Quest Diagnostics announced the same day that the company will also offer commercial tests as soon as March 9, pending U.S. Food and Drug Administration reviews. Participation of those two commercial laboratories could greatly expand testing capacity in the United States.

The Trump administration pushed back Saturday against criticism that it has been slow to deploy testing for the coronavirus on a nationwide scale.[CR-LF][CR-LF]While health officials from Washington state to Florida have expressed concern over their lack of access to testing kits, administration officials told reporters at the White House that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had met all requests from the two states, where the virus outbreak has been most pronounced.

The number of Americans infected with the coronavirus keeps growing; so does the number of states with confirmed cases. We're going to talk now with someone who is on the frontlines, Dr. Nancy Messonnier of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) spreading across the world represents a distinct challenge for all physicians, especially oncologists who commonly treat patients who have compromised immune systems. The spread of the virus was discussed by Scott Gottlieb, MD, during the keynote address at the 37th Annual Miami Breast Cancer Conference®.

Some academic hospitals are developing their own tests. And commercial options are expanding really quickly. Quest Diagnostics says it will launch a coronavirus test on Monday. The company says it will be in a position to receive samples from hospitals, physician offices. And another big company, LabCorp, says it now has a test available that can be ordered by doctors, other health care providers. Now, results can take three or four days. Positive results will be reported to local health officials and to the CDC.

Since Renee Schwartz developed shortness of breath and a severe cough two weeks ago, she has been trying desperately to get a coronavirus test. She has already been tested for the flu — she was negative — and other problems have been ruled out. But while her doctor thinks a test is warranted, she told Schwartz she does not have access to any tests.[CR-LF][CR-LF]“I feel like crap,” said Schwartz, 60, of North Hills, Calif. “I want to know, why can’t I get this test?”