ELMWOOD PARK, N.J.,
Jan. 4, 2021 /PRNewswire/
-- BioReference Laboratories, Inc., an OPKO Health company
(NASDAQ: OPK), today announced the results of COVID-19
molecular PCR tests for public schools throughout New York City's boroughs, with a positivity
rate of 0.47 percent.
BioReference announced the COVID-19 PCR test results for
NYC's public schools, with a
positivity rate of 0.47.
"These results indicate that an active surveillance system can
be successfully developed and implemented in a highly complex
environment such as the nations' largest public school system,"
said Jon R. Cohen, M.D., Executive Chairman of BioReference
Laboratories. "Testing is one component of the multiple mitigation
steps developed by New York City,
which include real time results reporting to the city situation
room, closure protocols, social distancing, masks and ventilation
improvements. These measures taken by the city and the teachers'
union resulted in a very low COVID-19 rate of infection within the
school system for those individuals tested by BioReference. We are
proud to be one of the partners that helped in this effort to have
children return to school and continue to learn in a safe
environment."
On September 2, BioReference began
working with New York City to
COVID-19 PCR test principals, teachers and staff in preparation for
a safer back-to-school environment. Prior to the start of the
2020-2021 school year, BioReference tested 8,913 individuals, with
an average turnaround time of less than 24 hours.
Subsequently, BioReference and New
York City expanded the school testing program to include
students on October 9. Sixty-four
teams visited almost 200 schools per day, having tested 209,790
individuals in more than 1,200 schools with an average turnaround
time of less than 38 hours. Among the total individuals tested, 975
(0.47%) were positive for COVID-19.
COVID-19 positivity rates by borough were; Manhattan: 0.37%, Brooklyn: 0.45%, Queens: 0.38%, Staten Island: 0.52% and Bronx: 0.71%. Interestingly, the rate for
students and teachers, principals and staff were similar and very
low (less than 1%).
About BioReference Laboratories, Inc.
BioReference
provides comprehensive testing to physicians, clinics, hospitals,
employers, government units, correctional institutions, and medical
groups. BioReference developed and offers test services that yield
high quality and accurate results, including a molecular test for
helping with COVID-19 diagnosis and a serology test to help
indicate possible COVID-19 exposure. The company is in network with
the five largest health plans in the
United States, operates a network of 11 laboratory
locations, and is backed by a medical staff of more than
120 M.D., Ph.D. and other
professional level clinicians and scientists. With a leading
position in the areas of genetics, women's health, maternal fetal
medicine, oncology, and urology, BioReference and its specialty
laboratories, GenPath and GeneDx, are advancing the course of
modern medicine. For more information, visit
www.bioreference.com.
About OPKO Health
OPKO is a multinational
biopharmaceutical and diagnostics company that seeks to establish
industry-leading positions in large, rapidly growing markets by
leveraging its discovery, development, and commercialization
expertise and novel and proprietary technologies. For more
information, visit www.opko.com.
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking
Statements
This press release contains "forward-looking
statements," as that term is defined under the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (PSLRA), which statements may be
identified by words such as "expects," "plans," "projects," "will,"
"may," "anticipates," "believes," "should," "intends," "estimates,"
and other words of similar meaning, including statements regarding
BioReference's testing, the availability of testing and the role
and value of the information provided and its impact on decisions,
as well as other non-historical statements about our expectations,
beliefs or intentions regarding our business, technologies and
products, financial condition, strategies or prospects. Many
factors could cause our actual activities or results to differ
materially from the activities and results anticipated in
forward-looking statements. These factors include those described
in the OPKO Health, Inc. Annual Reports on Form 10-K filed and to
be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and in its
other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In
addition, forward-looking statements may also be adversely affected
by general market factors, competitive product development, product
availability, federal and state regulations and legislation, the
regulatory process for new products and indications, manufacturing
issues that may arise, patent positions and litigation, among other
factors. The forward-looking statements contained in this press
release speak only as of the date the statements were made, and we
do not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking
statements. We intend that all forward-looking statements be
subject to the safe-harbor provisions of the PSLRA.
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SOURCE BioReference Laboratories, Inc