Millions of tests for COVID-19 have been performed in the U.S., but experts and politicians continue to emphasize that increased testing for the coronavirus is essential for a safe reopening of the economy. With testing so much in the public discussion now, it's not surprising that leading medical testing companies are getting attention from investors, especially as new COVID-19 tests are being granted emergency use authorization every week. Laboratory Corporation of America (NYSE: LH), or LabCorp as it's known, is one of the biggest diagnostic testing companies in the country and has been in the headlines for coronavirus testing.

LabCorp (NYSE: LH), a leading global life sciences company that is deeply integrated in guiding patient care, today announced that its COVID-19 at-home collection test kit is now being offered to individuals nationwide who have symptoms consistent with COVID-19 infection and individuals without symptoms who may have been exposed to the virus. The test is available through the company’s Pixel by LabCorp™ online platform. Initially, the at-home collection test kits were made available in April to frontline healthcare workers and first responders and this latest move expands access in line with U.S. CDC guidelines.

Guru's top buys and sells Continue reading...

U.S. employers have cooled to the idea of testing workers for possible immunity to the coronavirus as they prepare to reopen factories and other workplaces. Blood tests that check for antibodies to the new coronavirus have been touted by governments and some disease experts as a way to identify people who are less likely to fall ill or infect others. Italian automaker Ferrari NV has made antibody testing central to its “Back on Track” project to restarting factories.

Quest Diagnostics is offering companies of all sizes a package of services that include on-site temperature checks, antibody or swab testing.

There are still unanswered questions about the accuracy of some COVID-19 tests, the prevalence of antibodies among Americans, and whether those antibodies provide the kind of immunity safety net needed to protect people from future infections.

America’s growing ranks of jobless workers underscored the severe toll the coronavirus pandemic has taken on the world’s largest economy, while heightening a polarizing debate over restarting the U.S. economy.

No matter what happens, though, testing for COVID-19 will be important. Two of the largest diagnostics testing companies in the world, Quest Diagnostics (NYSE: DGX) and LabCorp (NYSE: LH), have stepped up in a major way to provide COVID-19 testing. Quest Diagnostics launched nationwide COVID-19 testing services in March.

Diagnostic testing, treatment, and a coronavirus vaccine could allow near-normal distancing and nonessential business recovery by mid-2021.

The company said it would provide customized services for workplaces including temperature checks, COVID-19 test collection at offices, access to its at-home sample collection kit, antibody test, as well as flu vaccinations in the fall. LabCorp currently provides lab tests, antibody blood tests that can tell whether a person has ever been infected, as well as kits that allow people to mail in their own nasal swab samples, reducing risks of further transmission. LabCorp said its "return to work" offerings would also include wellness services such as biometric screening.

U.S. employers have cooled to the idea of testing workers for possible immunity to the coronavirus as they prepare to reopen factories and other workplaces. Blood tests that check for antibodies to the new coronavirus have been touted by governments and some disease experts as a way to identify people who are less likely to fall ill or infect others. Italian automaker Ferrari NV has made antibody testing central to its “Back on Track” project to restarting factories.

LabCorp said on Tuesday it has now made available its at-home sample collection kit for COVID-19 testing to all individuals with symptoms and possible exposure to the virus, after having limited delivery to healthcare workers last month. The collection kit, launched in April with a list price of $119, comes with cotton swabs to collect nasal specimens, a biohazard specimen bag and a FedEx overnight shipping envelope to mail the samples to labs. LabCorp said it has over 200,000 at-home collection kits and was prepared to significantly expand capacity as required.

Shares of Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings gained 2.1% in premarket trading on Tuesday after the test maker said it had expanded its at-home COVID-19 test to the general public. The at-home test, which received emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration on April 20, was initially made available to frontline workers. Individuals who have been exposed to or have symptoms of COVID-19 can collect the sample at home using nasal swabs and then mail them to a lab. LabCorp's stock is down 0.2% year-to-date, while the S&P 500 has declined 9.3%.

Shares of Adaptive Biotechnologies Corp. were up 7.5% in premarket trading on Wednesday. The company on Tuesday had announced a virtual clinical study with Microsoft Corp. aimed at better understanding the immune response in 1,000 people who have tested positive for COVID-19 or have been exposed to the virus. The study will utilize diagnostic tests made by Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings , who will send employees to the participants' homes to collect the samples, which will then be used to examine patients' T-cells. Adaptive previously announced plans to work on an antibody program with Amgen that aims to develop a therapy that can prevent or treat COVID-19. Adaptive's stock is up 10.3% since the start of the year, while the S&P 500 is down 11.2%.

Companies will be able to screen their employees for the coronavirus and test them for prior infections with SARS-CoV-2.

The U.S. death toll from the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 climbed above 81,000 on Tuesday, as President Donald Trump, defending his record on testing in the U.S., ended his White House news conference abruptly following an angry exchange with two reporters.

LabCorp is expanding access to its Covid-19 home test kit beyond first responders and health-care workers to individuals nationwide who have symptoms.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Friday it has authorized the first diagnostic test for the new coronavirus that allows patients to collect saliva samples at-home. The decision is part of the FDA's efforts to expand testing capabilities for the fast-spreading virus, which has caused over 70,000 deaths in the United States. The saliva test kit was developed by RUCDR Infinite Biologics, a unit of Rutgers' Human Genetics Institute of New Jersey, and its collaborators, Spectrum Solutions and Accurate Diagnostic Labs.

The U.S. death toll from the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 rose above 71,000 on Wednesday, as President Donald Trump appeared to back off his announcement that he would phase out the government task force created to manage the pandemic

LabCorp (NYSE: LH) announced today it is launching a new return to work service for employers. Many U.S. companies have asked for LabCorp’s assistance as they implement their return to work strategies for the summer and fall. To meet this urgent demand, LabCorp Employer Services provides customized return to work solutions using LabCorp’s trained medical staff for employee check-in health questionnaires, temperature screens, and COVID-19 test collection at the employer site or offsite. The service gives employers access to LabCorp’s COVID-19 testing solutions including its at-home collection test kit, its new fingerstick antibody blood test, and in the fall, flu vaccination services.