Rite Aid, in Partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, BioReference Laboratories and New York State, Announces ‘Back to School’ COVID-19 Testing Program

New York students K-12 will have the opportunity for COVID-19 testing prior to or at the start of the 2021-2022 school year through Rite Aid and BioReference CAMP HILL, Pa. (August 26, 2021) – Rite Aid (NYSE: RAD) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), together with BioReference Laboratories, Inc., an OPKO Health […]

Returning to In-Person Learning During COVID-19

Returning to In-Person Learning During COVID-19 The 2021 back-to-school season has been unlike any other – and the COVID-19 vaccine and COVID testing have been added to this year’s ‘back-to-school checklists’. With the Delta variant accounting for more than 93% of new COVID-19 cases, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention […]

On First Day in Office, Governor Hochul Announces Comprehensive Plan to Help Ensure a Safe, Productive Return to Schools This Fall

Directs Department of Health to Institute Universal Mask Requirement in All Schools Governor Pursuing Options to Mandate Vaccines for School Employees Launches COVID-19 Testing in Schools Program Using $585 Million in Federal Funds in Partnership with Counties and BOCES Establishes Additional Back-to-School Testing Program in Partnership with U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Rite Aid and BioReference, […]

BioReference Laboratories Acquires U.S. Ariosa Centralized Laboratory Prenatal Testing Business

ELMWOOD PARK, N.J., August 16, 2021 – BioReference Laboratories, Inc., an OPKO Health company (NASDAQ:OPK), today announced the acquisition of the U.S. Ariosa centralized laboratory prenatal testing business from Roche. Ariosa’s non invasive prenatal screening (NIPS) test, the Harmony Prenatal Test, is one of the most widely studied tests utilized in prenatal screening. The test has been performed in […]

COVID-19 Testing Update: Delta Variant

Young Girl COVID

As you have probably seen in the news, genetic variants of SARS-CoV-2 have been emerging and circulating around the world throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Most notable variants are the B.1.1.7 (Alpha), B.1.351 (Beta), P.1 (Gamma) and B.1.617.2 (Delta) variants, which seem to spread more easily and quickly than other variants and may lead to more […]

SMA Awareness Month and the Importance of Carrier Screening

SMA Awareness Month Couple

This month, we are striving to bring awareness to Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), a serious inherited condition caused by changes in the SMN1 gene, which controls motor neurons in the spinal cord and brainstem. Symptoms can begin prior to six months of age, in childhood, or, more rarely, in adulthood. In the most common form […]

Sexually Transmitted Infections and the Pandemic

STIs During the Pandemic Blog

Sexually Transmitted Infections and the Pandemic Since the start of the pandemic, Americans have been told to stay home and remain socially distant to stay healthy. While stay at home orders and quarantine offered protection from COVID-19, they came at a cost to routine health and wellness visits including STI testing. A study published in […]

Missed Doctor’s Appointments During COVID: What to Expect

Missed Doctor’s Appointments During COVID: What Are the Consequences? From missed physicals to postponed colonoscopies, Americans skipped out on thousands of medical appointments during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, all to slow the spread and avoid being infected by the virus. That caution, however, is expected to result in dire consequences, including 10,000 breast […]

School is (Almost) Back In-Session

Return To School Safely As we continue through the dog days of summer, many parents, teachers and administrators are shifting gears to back-to-school season, and thinking about what in-person learning may look like amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Testing students will be key for schools looking to re-open, as many primary and secondary education students are […]

What Is a PCR COVID Test and When Do You Need One?

What is a PCR COVID Test and How Does it Work? A polymerase chain reaction, or PCR test is used to find genetic material from an organism, like the COVID-19 virus. Using a thermal cycler and specific chemicals, the test is the most accurate one we have today to detect the novel coronavirus. Even as […]