On Apr. 21, 2020, Quest Diagnostics announced that it has begun to perform antibody testing for coronavirus (COVID-19) using blood samples. With the new service, Quest Diagnostics rovides healthcare providers in the U.S. access to COVID-19 antibody as well as molecular diagnostic laboratory testing.

Quest is providing the service based on tests from Abbott and EUROIMMUN, a PerkinElmer company. Quest Diagnostics has completed independent validation studies on both tests. Both tests aid in detecting the presence of immunoglobulin class G (IgG). IgG antibody response typically develops by 14 days after symptom onset. In addition, Quest also continues to pursue other platforms that could enable it to increase testing capacity further.