More than 90 percent of the 1 million COVID-19 diagnostic tests Abbott has delivered to labs across the U.S. aren't being used because labs don't have the resources to process the tests, MedTech Dive reported.
White House coronavirus response coordinator Deborah Birx, MD, said labs don't have the resources to operate Abbott's m2000 RealTime System, which is the machine used to run the diagnostic tests.
So far, labs have only run 88,000 of Abbott's tests in the last three weeks, according to MedTech Dive.
A spokesperson for Abbott told MedTech Dive the machines are used in hospitals and labs across the country and that the machines each run up to 470 tests in 24 hours, but the equipment is not being operated anywhere close to its full capacity because labs need more staff and supplies.
"We understand that some of these labs are working to expand their capacity by increasing staff and supplies to run more shifts," an Abbott spokesperson told MedTech Dive. "In some instances states and cities are working to establish ways to send the samples to the labs that have capacity."
Dr. Birx said she was scheduled to speak with lab directors to discuss how to address issues with running the tests at full capacity.
The American Clinical Laboratory Association has said for weeks that labs across the country face staffing and supply shortages that could hinder their ability to conduct COVID-19 diagnostic tests, according to MedTech Dive.
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