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Roche COVID-19 Blog: News and Stories from the Frontlines

As part of the global response to COVID-19, the diagnostics industry has come together in an unprecedented effort to provide critically needed tests for the disease. The pandemic has also brought more public awareness to the critical role of reliable diagnostics to understand and combat COVID-19 and other diseases. We created this blog to share news and stories from the frontline of the pandemic and share points of view that we hope will contribute to the public dialogue around COVID-19 testing.

February 16, 2021
SARS-CoV-2 Variants and the Roche SARS-CoV-2 Assays
The emergence of several SARS-CoV-2 variants has been all over the news in recent weeks. We asked our colleagues Allison R. McMullen and Jamie E. Phillips to help us understand exactly what a variant is and if it could impact COVID-19 testing.

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February 12, 2021
Understanding COVID-19 Testing Options
A variety of SARS-COV-2 testing technologies are available to help reduce disease spread and understand disease prevalence.

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February 5, 2021
The Value of Spike Antibody Assays in the Fight Against COVID-19
As COVID-19 vaccinations become deployed on a widespread basis, antibody testing is poised to play a significant role in evaluating long-term effectiveness of innoculations.
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December 28, 2020
Five Questions with Dr. Jamie Phillips – COVID-19 and Flu Season
Learn how we must prepare for what could be a very challenging winter as COVID-19 converges with the flu and other respiratory viruses.
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December 21, 2020
Five Questions with Jim Floberg – What It Takes to Make Pandemic Testing Sites Operational
Learn from the team responsible for implementing COVID-19 diagnostic systems at hospitals and reference laboratories.
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December 9, 2020
Qualitative vs. Quantitative Antibody Tests — What’s the Difference?
Learn about the different types of assays and when it’s most appropriate to use when testing for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies.
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November 10, 2020
The Role of Antigen Testing in the COVID-19 Pandemic
What is an antigen test and how does it compare to the myriad of testing options out there? Here’s what you need to know.

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September 28, 2020
Correlations between COVID-19 and Sepsis
In the age of novel coronavirus, sepsis appears to be one of the most common complications that can occur in critically ill COVID-19 patients.

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August 17, 2020
COVID-19 Requires a Complementary Testing Approach
High-volume molecular diagnostic testing remains the backbone of the country’s testing infrastructure, but it cannot be the only option.

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August 5, 2020
IL-6 may help guide treatment decisions for critically ill COVID-19 patients
interleukin-6 (IL-6) may be an important biomarker to measure in critically ill COVID-19 patients in order to predict the severity of the disease.
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August 3, 2020
Nicole Robinson, Roche Frontline Responder
In her own words
Hear first-hand from one of our colleagues who is working to deliver certainty during the most uncertain times.
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July 30, 2020
The importance of biomarkers in the fight against
COVID-19
Certain biomarkers may provide valuable information that can aid in the management of COVID-19 patients.
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July 20, 2020
Waqas Latif, Roche Frontline Responder
In his own words
Hear first-hand from one of our colleagues who is working to deliver certainty during the most uncertain times.
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June 26, 2020
Breaking Down PCR Diagnostic Testing
SARS-CoV-2 testing requires several different consumables to get to the result, which we break down for you here.

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June 23, 2020
Pedro Rodriguez, Roche Frontline Responder
In his own words
Hear first-hand from one of our colleagues who is working to deliver certainty during the most uncertain times.
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June 18, 2020
Centralized vs. decentralized testing models and the importance of both for COVID-19 testing
Both centralized and decentralized testing are important in today’s healthcare environment as they each have unique benefits.
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June 12, 2020
Brian Maddock, Roche Frontline Responder
In his own words
Hear first-hand from one of our colleagues who is working to deliver certainty during the most uncertain times.
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June 11, 2020
Key role of specificity in COVID-19 antibody test accuracy
When considering the accuracy of antibody tests, having a high specificity matters more than sensitivity because the greatest clinical risk lies in false positive results.
 
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June 8, 2020
What makes an antibody test accurate?
Why high- and low-affinity antibodies matter more than antibody class.
 
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May 28, 2020
A positive result in one city may mean something different in another
A test's specificity plays an increasingly important role in populations where the infection rate is lower.
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May 21, 2020
Understanding a test's specificity
See how a small change in specificity can have a significant impact in the number of individuals diagnosed correctly.
 
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May 19, 2020
Inside Roche Diagnostics approach to antibody testing
Laura Parnas, PhD, Senior Scientific Affairs Manager for Roche Diagnostics, answers some critical questions about the new Elecsys Anti-SARS-CoV2 Assay.
 
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May 15, 2020
Setting the record straight on COVID-19 antibody testing
Our Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Alan Wright talks all things immunology and how #SARSCoV2 antibody testing works.
 
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May 13, 2020
The journey of an antibody test
Learn how antibody tests help to detect those already infected with SARS-CoV-2.
 
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May 1, 2020
What is PCR and why is it the “gold standard” in molecular diagnostics?
PCR is an easy way to create unlimited copies of DNA from one original strand in order to recreate enough DNA for multiple testing uses.
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April 27, 2020
COVID-19 Antibody Testing: Helping Inform the “New Normal”
Learn how the road toward our “new normal” will be informed by antibody testing.
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April 22, 2020
The importance of the global supply chain for COVID-19 diagnostics
Learn about the critical importance of the global supply chain in fighting the battle against coronavirus.
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April 19, 2020
COVID-19 testing: What you need to know about test accuracy
There has been a lot of discussion around the accuracy of COVID-19 diagnostic tests. Get the facts.
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