Coronavirus News: Northwell Health Labs shows off newest COVID-19 testing machines

LAKE SUCCESS, Long Island (WABC) -- With COVID-19 cases rising across the region and the country, Northwell Health Labs showed off the latest technologies being employed to combat the novel coronavirus.

During a tour of the 100,000-square foot facility in Lake Success on Long Island, Executive Director Dr. Dwaye Breining demonstrated an array of diagnostic and antibody machines in action at the state-of-the-art lab.

From the outset of the pandemic in New York, Northwell Health Labs has trained its efforts on quickly and reliably being able to identify COVID-19 cases.

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It was the first hospital-based lab in the state to test for the virus and helped Northwell Health handle the crush of patients -- over 93,000 between March and November -- more than any other health system.

Northwell Labs has performed 1.5 million tests during that span and is currently processing 7,500 diagnostic and 2,000 antibody tests each day with the ability to handle up to 20,000 combined tests daily.

The expanded capacity is possible because New York State's largest health system has invested $30 million on more specialized testing equipment, staffing and supplies.

As COVID-19 cases rise once more in the region, Dr. Breining said Northwell Labs is prepared to be part of the solution to the so-called second wave.

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