Media Coverage

There’s a trio of viruses spreading in the U.S. — COVID-19, the flu and RSV — and some in the medical world are calling it a “tripledemic.” If you’re feeling sick, it can be tough to differentiate among COVID-19, the flu and RSV because they share similar symptoms and can also look like the common cold. With COVID-19 and the flu, the CDC reports that “you cannot tell the difference between” the pair based on symptoms. Luckily, there is a test that can detect whether you have COVID-19, the flu and even RSV that you can get through a health care provider. Options include a test made by Labcorp and another created by Quest Diagnostics.

There’s no simple way to tell who has Alzheimer’s disease, but with a blockbuster treatment for millions of Americans on the horizon, blood-test makers are gearing up to change this. Even doctors who were initially skeptical about blood tests for the condition are gaining confidence that products from Quest Diagnostics Inc., Quanterix Corp. and C2N Diagnostics can help distinguish which patients may qualify for treatment with the experimental drug lecanemab, expected to be approved next year.

Flu season continues to dominate national headlines as cases rise and hospitals are overcrowded. As a result of a spike in influenza cases, hospitals are feeling the pressure. "The strain that this is putting on our healthcare system is certainly a concern," Dr. Hema Kapoor, Infectious Diseases and Immunology with Quest Diagnostics tells us. "The overlap that we're seeing with other viruses has also put additional stress on the system. Pediatric hospitals have been overwhelmed by patients with RSV, and while the CDC noted it appears transmission was slowing in areas of the country, we've been seeing an increase in hospitalizations due to flu and COVID-19."

Quest Diagnostics said Thursday that it has formed a strategic laboratory collaboration with Maine healthcare system Northern Light Health. Under the agreement, Quest will acquire select assets of Northern Light's outreach laboratory business, named Northern Light Laboratory, in an all-cash transaction and will provide management services for nine of the system's hospital labs, as well as its cancer center laboratory at Northern Light Cancer Care in Brewer, Maine.

Quest Diagnostics on Thursday announced a group purchasing agreement for its laboratory stewardship solution with Premier, a healthcare company uniting an alliance of hospitals, health systems, and providers.