Coronavirus testing lab furloughing workers despite backlog of 115,000 COVID-19 tests

[LiberalArkie]

Employees at Quest Diagnostics are being asked to voluntarily go on furlough, despite the publicly traded medical testing company acknowledging Wednesday its labs were facing a backlog of at least 115,000 COVID-19 tests.

Furloughs will impact employees throughout the company, which Quest spokesman Dennis Moynihan said has seen a 40% drop in overall testing in the past two weeks.

In a letter obtained by the Sun-Times, workers in Quest’s Great Midwest Region were given “the opportunity to express an interest in volunteering to be part of the furlough.”

That includes employees working at the 12 facilities that are currently testing for the coronavirus, including a laboratory in northwest suburban Wood Dale. Quest also has a diagnostic lab in Schaumburg and 12 testing locations across the state, according to the company’s website.

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https://chicago.suntimes.com/coronavirus/2020/4/4/21208408/facing-backlog-of-115k-covid-19-tests-quest-diagnostics-asks-workers-to-voluntarily-go-on-furlough

[SheltieLover]

1. WTF?

Thank you for posting this.

K&R

[Sherman A1]

2. WTF

is being charitable...............

[LiberalArkie]

5. Hospitals doing it also

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10392704

[Hoyt]

3. Read the article. The CV19 tests are still being analyzed, apparently

the equipment is the problem.

Believe it or not, medical practices and testing facilities are being hit hard by CV19 because people are staying at home.

“Moynihan said the 40% drop in overall testing by the company was due to a decrease in physician office visits, elective surgeries and employment testing he attributed to “social distancing and shelter-in-place measures that were instituted to combat the spread of COVID-19.” He said the demand for COVID-19 tests would not be enough to offset the decline.”

[LiberalArkie]

7. People are not going to places to have their regular blood work done.

Afraid to go to doctors Offices for their regular blood work.

I need left carotid surgery done, but the hospitals are not doing elective surgery because they laid off all the regular people not involved with Covid. I have have to wait until I have a stroke to get done. I am only at 75% blockage right now.

[EllieBC]

11. How is that elective?

That seems like something that would keep you alive!

[LiberalArkie]

12. I think it is that I don't go into the ER.

[MiniMe]

13. I had a pacemaker/defibrillator implanted last Monday. They told me it was NOT elective surgery

There was not many other surgeries being done, I think most of them were cardiac. By last Monday, I mean 3/23. getting regular bloodwork done from LabCorp. They have me on the good old rat poison now, Warfarin.

[Blue_true]

15. Why do you call it "rat poison"? Was it used on rates before?

I don't have anything to do with rats whatsoever. If I saw some, I would call the exterminator and not ask questions as long as I saw dead rats.

[MiniMe]

17. That is what Warfarin was originally used for

It is a blood thinner. And you need to get bloodwork done about once a week at first when you are on it

[Blue_true]

18. I have seen it advertised. Didn't know it's history. nt

[KY_EnviroGuy]

10. These labs are going to be absolutely swamped when normality returns.

Millions of people delaying elective procedures and even routine doctor's visits means there will be a flood of tests hitting the labs.......someday.

Same thing with a lot of other maintenance issues other than health such as home and car maintenance.

[Yonnie3]

6. Routine lab testing has decreased greatly at the local hospital labs here.

People aren't going to doctors for routine physicals and minor ailments. People are canceling elective surgeries so they aren't getting pre-operative testing.

The same has happened to Quest. They have more than enough people to run the COVID-19 tests and not much for the rest of the employees.

The testing is limited by the equipment they have and the supplies available, not by the available manpower.

[LiberalArkie]

9. Plus a neat thing is they can charge the full price for the Covid and be assured by the U.S. that

they will get paid. Some people can't afford their regular bloodwork or Medicare or insurance doesn't pay the lab full price for the regular blood work.

[Demovictory9]

8. non emergency surgery is way down at hospitals, I suppose big drop in the blood testing they do

my surgery a few years ago... required the full blood test done by this company prior to the surgery

[Indykatie]

16. All Medical Providers Are Seeing Significant Drops in Demand for their Services

The papers are filled with news about medical practices, surgery groups and specialist physicians being laid off themselves or laying off their employees if they are independent providers. The simple truth is that no one is seeking non-emergency medical care. Remember folks are staying inside their homes as ordered. If doctors aren't ordering as many tests then Quest and Lab Corps will also need to lay off employees. While there's a backlog of CV-19 all Quest Labs may not be equipped to run that new specific test.