The American Society for Microbiology (ASM) has announced that its online data collection tool has found crucial pandemic supply shortages, including a lack of commercial COVID-19 tests and routine laboratory diagnostics in clinical labs.

Of the 117 Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA)-certified labs running the tool, 73 percent have a shortage of commercial testing kits for COVID-19, 65 percent of labs have a shortage of nonCOVID-19 testing supplies for routine bacteria and 70 percent of labs are short on supplies for testing for sexually transmitted infections, ASM said.

In addition, 18 percent are short on supplies for detecting mycobacteria and 50 percent of labs have a shortage of routine fungal testing supplies.

ASM’s online platform will continue to track COVID-19 and nonCOVID-19 testing supplies in real time to help improve testing capacities, the organization said.