Category Archives: News

Antibody Testing to Start Monday at Site Opening at Miami International Mall

NBC Miami Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez and Doral Mayor J.C. Bermudez are among those expected to attend Thursday’s grand opening Residents in Miami-Dade County will have a new option when it comes to getting antibody testing during the coronavirus pandemic. BioReference will be testing at the Miami International Mall starting with a grand opening event […]

Is Population-Scale Testing for SARS-CoV-2 Feasible?

360Dx NEW YORK – As the US looks to restart its economy following the first wave of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, scientists and policymakers are exploring how communities might return to somewhat more normal work and social lives without sparking a repeat of the recent outbreak. A pair of high-profile groups, one associated with non-profit organization […]

Reef Technology partners with Opko’s BioReference Labs for pop-up antibody testing sites

South Florida Business Journal With its latest partnership, Reef Technology has entered the Covid-19 antibody testing business following expansions of its ghost kitchen and last-mile delivery services. The Miami-based company, formerly ParkJockey, has partnered with BioReference Laboratories to launch pop-up testing sites across the nation, starting at the Miami International Mall. As opposed to testing efforts detecting who is […]

Some back-of-the-envelope math reveals the risk in relying on even the best antibody tests to tell us who’s had the coronavirus

Business Insider Medical tests, like the blood tests that look for antibodies to the novel coronavirus, aren’t perfect. Sometimes, you end up with a false negative: You actually did have the coronavirus and your immune system developed antibodies to the virus, but the test says you don’t have those antibodies. Other times, you end up with […]

New York State to Pay BioReference Labs $150M for Covid-19 Testing

360dx NEW YORK – New York State has agreed to pay BioReference Laboratories $150 million for analyzing Covid-19 diagnostic and antibody tests through July 25, according to a database of state contracts. BioReference, a subsidiary of Miami-based Opko Health, tests the samples collected at 11 drive-through facilities around the state, including in New Rochelle and at Jones Beach State […]

Detroit coronavirus update: Retailers to get instructions on reopening | Fairgrounds testing expands for seniors

Crain’s Detroit Business Retailers in the city of Detroit could get “detailed plans” next week for how they can reopen safely amid the coronavirus crisis, Mayor Mike Duggan said Wednesday. Michigan is in the third phase, or “flattening” phase, of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s six-phase reopening plan. Duggan said he expects the fourth phase, “improving,” to start […]

BioReference Laboratories to Provide Lab Services to Westchester Medical Center Health Network

360dx NEW YORK – Opko Health’s BioReference Laboratories announced Wednesday it has entered an agreement with the Westchester Medical Center Health Network to provide laboratory administrative services, operations, reference testing, and outpatient lab services.  The 10-hospital health system, headquartered in Valhalla, New York, performs more than 7 million lab tests every year, and under the […]

How many people need to be tested, traced before NJ moves closer to reopening?

USA Today New Jersey aims to double its COVID-19 testing capacity to close to 20,000 people a day by the end of May as officials weigh the decision to relax monthslong restrictions and reopen the economy, Gov. Phil Murphy announced Tuesday. The state also plans to recruit at least 1,000 more contact tracers and pay them to track the movements […]

Covid-19 Antibody Tests Are Easy to Get But It’s Not Clear What They’re Telling Us

Bloomberg There’s no hard evidence that antibodies to the virus that causes Covid-19 provide immunity Covid-19 antibody tests are suddenly everywhere. A West Palm Beach spa that normally offers Botox and collagen treatments touts tests on Instagram. A New York City urgent-care chain emails patients that the tests are available, though “not 100% accurate.” A chiropractic clinic in […]

COVID-19 testing problems started early, U.S. still playing from behind

Modern Healthcare NEW YORK – Four months since the first COVID-19 case was reported in the U.S., the demand for testing for the SARS-CoV-2 virus still far outpaces the supply, even as test developers scramble to increase their testing capacity and new types of tests make their way into the market. Despite assurances early on […]