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Harvey Kaufman, MD, MBA, senior medical director at Quest Diagnostics, led a study for the company examining the impact of COVID-19 on prostate cancer screening and diagnoses. The results of the study are part of Quest Diagnostics Health Trends, which he has been involved with since it began in 2005 and now leads. CLP sat down with Kaufman prior to the Omicron surge to discuss the findings of the study and about the future of diagnostic testing in general.

Quest Diagnostics signaled an upbeat 2021 profit as COVID-19 testing volumes surged with the spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant in the United States. Quest said it performed over 120,000 PCR tests per day in the last couple of weeks of 2021, and over 150,000 tests a day at the beginning of this year.

At-home COVID-19 antigen tests are in high demand, and for good reason. They're quick, convenient, and can help you contain the spread of the infection. That said, the FDA has acknowledged that certain rapid antigen tests may be less sensitive to the Omicron variant, prompting speculation that there's got to be a better way. "As more countries continue the double-swab method, it may impact future FDA and CDC guidelines for those of us in the US. But it's important to reiterate that this method is currently not authorized by the FDA," says Jeffrey Dlott, MD, the medical director of consumer health at Quest Diagnostics, which conducts testing for COVID-19 and other infectious diseases.

Quest Diagnostics, a diagnostic information services provider based in New Jersey, announced Dec. 14 it has acquired Labtech Diagnostics, an independent clinical diagnostic laboratory provider in Anderson, for an undisclosed sum.

A study published in JAMA Pediatrics this fall suggested that more than half of all US children have detectable levels of lead in their blood – and that elevated blood lead levels were closely associated with race, poverty and living in older housing. “Most American children are exposed to lead, a substance that is not safe at any level,” said co-author Dr Harvey Kaufman, a senior medical director at Quest Diagnostics, which led the study.

On Monday, scientists reported that blood pressure measurements of nearly a half-million adults showed a significant rise last year, compared with the previous year. A new study, by researchers at the Cleveland Clinic and Quest Diagnostics, examined data from hundreds of thousands of employees and family members in wellness programs that tracked blood pressure and other health indicators, like weight.

Quest Diagnostics recently released its latest Health Trends report, Drug Misuse in America 2021: Physician Perspectives and Diagnostic Insights on the Drug Crisis and COVID-19, conducted by the Harris Poll, which reveals physicians' worries and fears about recognizing addiction and affects of the pandemic on people who use drugs.

At the beginning of the pandemic, patients nationwide canceled doctor’s visits for a range of medical issues as public health authorities recommended delaying non-urgent in-person medical care. During this time, clinical drug testing by Quest Diagnostics plummeted by 70%, while contributors to substance use disorders like job loss, economic hardship, and mental health issues soared.

Those lucky enough to be traveling to Hawaii for the holidays are required to get a pre-travel COVID-19 test prior to departure to avoid being required to quarantine upon arrival. Secaucus-based Quest Diagnostics says it can help in that effort. Quest was recently named a trusted lab partner for COVID-19 testing services by the state of Hawaii for its Trusted Testing and Travel Partners Program.

Thousands of vials arrive via couriers every day to a new Quest Diagnostics laboratory in Clifton. They flood into the Passaic County facility from doctors, medical clinics in six states and Hackensack Meridian Health facilities in New Jersey. The sheer volume of the operation speaks to the importance of the medical diagnostics field.