COVID-19/Coronavirus Update

We know that our partners use our instruments to test specimens that contain infectious or potentially infectious pathogens. The safety of your staff—and our associates—is very important to us.

There are no additional decontamination procedures recommended for the Beckman Coulter in vitro diagnostic instruments your laboratory uses to test specimens obtained from suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19. Follow routine maintenance and cleaning procedures specified in your system documentation. Beckman Coulter recommends using bleach with your instrument only as directed in your instrument Instructions for Use (IFU).

Always follow the policies and procedures established by your institution’s infection control and risk management departments. The proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and universal laboratory biosafety precautions will minimize the exposure of laboratory personnel to potentially infectious pathogens.

While it is not possible to forecast the impact of geopolitical events on future supply, we want to assure you that we are actively monitoring and managing our business continuity plan so that critical products are available to support the needs of our customers, healthcare providers and patients.

We have clear visibility into our supply chain to mitigate the impact on our customers, and we are following direction from international health organizations and local governments as well as Danaher and Beckman Coulter safety protocols.

Currently, all Beckman Coulter production sites are operational. While we have manufacturing facilities and suppliers in impacted regions, we are prepared with solid inventory reserves and strong supplier relationships, allowing us to avoid supply outages. Additionally, we are continuing to leverage our established partnerships in the logistics community to move freight around the globe.

As the situation progresses, we will monitor and provide any necessary updates to ensure consistent support.

If you are a Beckman Coulter customer and require additional details on supply continuity, please contact your local sales representative.

Beckman Coulter is proud to be part of Danaher which is made up of a collection of the world’s leading diagnostic and Life Science companies, including Cepheid and Integrated DNA Technologies (IDT).

The global Cepheid team is mobilizing quickly to deliver a world-class, point-of-care test for the rapid qualitative detection of the 2019 novel coronavirus. “An accurate test performed close to the patient with a rapid turnaround time will deliver time-critical results to help alleviate the pressure that the emergence of the 2019-nCoV outbreak has put on healthcare facilities. By leveraging the design principles of our current Xpert® Xpress Flu/RSV cartridge technology, in which multiple regions of the viral genome are targeted to provide rapid detection of current and future pandemic coronavirus strains, we are developing a test that can be applied in multiple settings where actionable patient management information is needed quickly.” David Persing, MD, Ph.D. Cepheid’s Chief Medical and Technology Officer.

To learn more about Cepheid’s SARS-CoV-2 test development, including news, FAQ’s and expected product details, visit Cepheid’s dedicated COVID-19 information page.

IDT was the first company in the nation to have its primer and probe kits approved by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for use as a key component of the CDC Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) test protocol for the diagnosis and detection of COVID-19. IDT has achieved large-scale manufacturing of this key component, which assists in DNA analysis of patient samples. IDT has manufactured, and CDC has qualified, primer and probe kits sufficient to enable over 5 million tests per week to be conducted pursuant to the CDC EUA testing protocol. IDT will also continue to supply primer and probe kits to research laboratories which may assist them in the development of a COVID-19 vaccine.

To learn more about IDT's role in the fight against COVID-19, visit IDT’s dedicated information page.

We are following direction from international health organizations, local governments, as well as Beckman Coulter and Danaher safety protocols to minimize exposure. If you (or someone you have been in close contact with) are exhibiting symptoms of respiratory tract infection or have visited any of the destinations identified by the CDC as being at risk of community spread of coronavirus (China, Hong Kong, Iran, Italy, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand China, and the Republic of Korea) within the last 14 days please refrain from visiting the Beckman Coulter offices.

The CDC also recommends that if you develop a fever or respiratory symptoms consistent with COVID-19, you should immediately self-quarantine and notify your healthcare provider or local public health authorities.