Impact of COVID-19 on the Medical Laboratory Industry

Abstract

COVID-19 testing facilitated transformational change within the medical laboratory sector. PCR, antigen, and antibody tests underpin efforts to control the pandemic. Accelerated development of rapid, highly automated diagnostic methods have broadened testing options. Increased demand near the pandemic’s peak stressed operational capacities. Supply-chain deficits exacerbated problems. Expert personnel shortages surfaced alongside technical and clinical support gaps. Novel assembly-line, robotics, and sample-processing technologies contributed toward addressing challenges. Point-of-care devices reduce laboratory workloads. Large-scale serology testing enables population immunity insights. Modifications to regulatory frameworks and health policies granted additional products and procedures expedited market access. Emerging issues include reagent adoption and nucleic-acid-based test applicability to variants. Large-scale antibodies testing poses significant quality-control concerns. Widespread laboratory usage of competent, quantifiable, rapidly available diagnostic tests promises to complement medical-service offerings and invigorate commercial activities across the infection-treatment value chain (E. Cornish et al., 2023).