COVID Resource Center Newsroom

At the beginning of the pandemic, pooled testing was seen as a way to potentially conserve valuable testing resources, but logistical hurdles and other challenges have limited its usefulness.

Beginning Jan. 26, all air travelers entering the U.S. from other countries will need a negative COVID-19 test result before they can board their flights.

Dr. Matthew Binnicker addresses the dramatic decrease in flu cases, and the corresponding drop in serious illness and death related to influenza, seen throughout the country this year.

Mayo Clinic Laboratories is carefully monitoring the emergence of two new variants of SARS-CoV-2 ― the virus that causes COVID-19 ― in the U.S. One variant is from the U.K. and one variant is from South Africa.

Amir Sadighi Akha, M.D., D.Phil., lab section director for Mayo Clinic's Cellular and Molecular Immunology Laboratory, joins this episode of the "Answers From the Lab" podcast. Dr. Sadighi Akha and Bobbi Pritt, M.D., discuss dendritic cell enumeration — a new test offered through Mayo Clinic Laboratories that is the only clinical test of its kind currently available in the U.S.

A massive effort that involved numerous departments and experts, culminated in Mayo Clinic designing, testing and mass-manufacturing a 3D-printed mid-turbinate swab for COVID-19 testing.

On the podcast, Dr. William Morice described how Mayo Clinic Laboratories quickly ramped up to meet pandemic testing needs.

Although these sites may offer convenience, Dr. Morice cautions that it's important to understand the potential drawbacks.

In a story on Washington D.C. Fox 5 News, Dr. Morice reviewed the significance of reports that a COVID-19 vaccine was found to be more than 90% effective.

In a recent "Answers From the Lab" podcast, Aaron Tande, M.D., an infectious disease specialist and associate chair for outpatient practice in Mayo Clinic's Division of Infectious Diseases, explains the algorithm Mayo has developed to make sure patients receive the right test at the right time, so they can get the care they need as quickly as possible.

The in-depth article examines how the onset of flu season has the potential to further complicate testing challenges posed by COVID-19.

Flu season is just now unfolding. But this time, it’s piggy-backed with a pandemic, which threatens to spike with the colder weather as people huddle indoors. Adding to this conundrum is the unsettling fact that, for both COVID-19 and the flu, the symptoms overlap.

The concept of at-home testing for COVID-19 sounds straightforward. But there's nuance to it that's important to understand. Right now, an at-home test for COVID-19 is not available, although there may be one coming soon. But in some areas, at-home sample collection is an option at this time.