Dive Brief:
FDA on Wednesday said it is working with SARS-CoV-2 test developers to determine potential impact on the efficacy of coronavirus diagnostics as a coronavirus variant first identified in the U.K. has now been found in the U.S.
Tim Stenzel, director of the FDA’s Office of In Vitro Diagnostics and Radiological Health, told Wednesday's virtual town hall for test developers the agency is trying to assess whether existing coronavirus tests are able to properly detect new COVID-19 variants.
Separately, lab giant LabCorp on Monday issued a statement that it is "tracking" coronavirus mutations, including a new variant strain of SARS-CoV-2 (B.1.1.7) in the U.K. and more recently in the U.S., to determine the impact on its PCR test sensitivity. "The B.1.1.7 strain is detectable by our current molecular testing," the company said. A Quest Diagnostics spokesperson said the company believes its molecular testing services are able to detect the recently identified U.K. and South African variants.