President, Chief Executive Officer & Chairman, Labcorp
Search every verified Adam Schechter interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. In an October 2020 interview, Labcorp CEO Adam Schechter discussed the company's COVID-19 testing capacity and preparations for the flu season. Schechter stated that Labcorp had increased its testing capacity from 2,000-3,000 tests per day in March to over 200,000 tests per day, and that the company was continuing to expand by purchasing additional machines and reagents. He noted that Labcorp was receiving about 100,000 samples per day on average and that its labs operated 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Schechter also described three types of COVID-19 tests—PCR, antigen, and antibody—and said that while PCR is considered the gold standard, antigen tests are useful for surveillance despite being less accurate. Schechter addressed concerns about testing turnaround times, stating that while results typically take about 24 hours, he disagreed with the view that tests become useless after two days, arguing that a three-day result could still help individuals decide whether to return to work. He encouraged the public to get flu vaccinations, practice social distancing, wear masks, and maintain good hygiene, even after receiving a negative test result. Schechter also noted that Labcorp had launched a combined test for flu, RSV, and COVID-19 using a single nasal swab.
“LabCorp has built capacity since March of last year, starting from scratch to now be able to do over two hundred thousand tests per day, which demonstrates significant investment in testing infrastructure during the pandemic.”
“We are doing everything we can to turn around those results as fast as possible, with over 65,000 employees working day and night, and we are buying every machine and reagent we can to prepare for the fall flu season.”
“The turnaround time for results, even if it takes three days, can still be useful for individuals feeling better and deciding whether to go back to work, which is better than unnecessary quarantine.”
“We are building capacity every single day, currently at 200,000 tests a day, and we will not stop; we are buying every machine and reagent we can to prepare for the fall flu season.”
“We need people to do their part as we go into flu season—get flu vaccinations, practice social distancing, wear masks, and practice good hygiene—even if they have a negative test result.”
“The current government program pays about a hundred dollars per test, but if your company can't turn around results in two days, which Dr. Fauci says is necessary, then the test's usefulness diminishes significantly.”
“We are doing everything we can to move as fast as possible, with our labs open seven days a week, 24 hours a day, because there's no reimbursement that will cause us to move faster than we can.”
“If we see infections continue to rise in the U.S., we are building capacity every day, currently at 200,000 tests per day, and we will keep expanding to meet demand.”
“We are encouraging people to get flu shots, practice social distancing, wear masks, and do everything possible to stay ahead of the virus as we head into the fall and winter.”
“Our labs are operating seven days a week, 24 hours a day, with over 65,000 employees working tirelessly to meet testing demands during this critical time.”
Adam Schechter says his company is in "good position going into this flu season."
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