HHS National COVID-19 Testing Implementation Forum to Improve Collaboration in Advancement of Innovation in SARS-CoV-2 Testing

The US Department of Health & Human Services (HHS Washington, D.C., USA) has announced the National COVID-19 Testing Implementation Forum, a new program to capture feedback between federal officials and the private sector.

The National Testing Implementation Forum will bring together representatives from key stakeholder groups to share information and provide input to federal leaders about SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, testing and diagnostics. The members of the forum will provide their perspectives on how HHS can best identify and address end-to-end testing supply chain issues across commercial, public health, academic, and other sectors and define optimal testing in various settings (diagnostic, screening, surveillance, others).

The forum will aim to significantly increase public health laboratory capacity, implement a national surveillance strategy using Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) and non-CLIA assets. It will seek new techniques and technologies, such as sample pooling and identify any barriers to a streamlined national laboratory testing reporting system and defined reporting standards. The forum will also work to improve technical assistance across the nation to target testing among the vulnerable and underserved and create a sustainable diagnostics ecosystem that is sustainable and fully capable for future public health challenges.

"This is an important initiative to improve collaboration in the advancement of innovation in SARS-CoV-2 testing," said ADM Brett Giroir, M.D., the assistant secretary for health. "Gaining private sector input is critical bringing novel technologies into widespread use by the public health and commercial sectors."

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US Department of Health & Human Services