Miami-Dade Lab First To Sequence COVID-19 Omicron Variant

Miami FL

02 March, 2022

8:43 PM

Description

By Ashley Dyer, CBS Miami March 2, 2022 Across the globe, hundreds of millions of COVID-19 cases have been reported since the pandemic began. During that time, five strains of the virus have plagued the world. Due to the fact that the virus is so transmissible, a process called sequencing has become a crucial tool used to identify new variants. "Alright, so this is ready to load," explained Karina Suarez, a Medical Laboratory Scientist at Cardio Path Labs, as she demonstrates the first step in achieving a positive or negative PCR result. "Right now, we're seeing 99% of tests coming back as Omicron," explained Aron Banks, a Molecular Biologist and CEO of Cardio Path Labs. CBS Local Digital Media personalizes the global reach of CBS-owned and operated television and radio stations with a local perspective.