The ScreenPlus Program, the first MLD identified baby newborn screening pilot study in the US, was supposed to launch in May 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic has put all non-essential research programs in New York hospitals on hold.
We expect the delay to be several months, but are uncertain, as of April 2020, as to an exact start date.
New York city is the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak. This is affecting the hospitals, the state public health labs, and key staff facilitating the ScreenPlus project. New York officials anticipate the peak of new COVID-19 cases in the coming few weeks, but no one is exactly sure how long the tail of the flattened curve will be.
Both the ScreenPlus Community Advisory Board and the Scientific Advisory Board continue to meet as we prepare for the launch. MLD’s representative on the CAB is Dean Suhr of MLD Foundation.
Please register at MLDnewbornScreening.org to be notified as ScreenPlus and MLD Newborn Screening progress.