Risks related to our business
We face risks related to health epidemics, including the recentCOVID-19 pandemic, which could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
Our business has been and could continue to be adversely affected by a widespread outbreak of contagious disease, including the recent pandemic of respiratory illness caused by a novel coronavirus known asCOVID-19. Global health concerns relating to theCOVID-19 pandemic have been weighing on the macroeconomic environment, and the pandemic has significantly increased economic volatility and uncertainty.
The pandemic has resulted in government authorities implementing numerous measures to try to contain the virus, such as travel bans and restrictions, quarantines,shelter-in-place orstay-at-home orders, and business shutdowns. For example, our personnel located at our headquarters and other offices in California, elsewhere in the United States and in other countries, are currently subject toshelter-in-place orstay-at-home orders from state and local governments. These measures have adversely impacted and may further impact our employees and operations and the operations of our customers, suppliers and business partners, and may negatively impact spending patterns, payment cycles and insurance coverage levels. These measures have adversely affected and may continue to adversely affect demand for our tests. Many of our customers, including hospitals and clinics, have suspendednon-emergency appointments and services, which has resulted in a significant decrease in our test volume. Travel bans, restrictions and border closures have also impacted our ability to ship test kits to and receive samples from our customers. In addition, certain aspects of our business, such as laboratory processes, cannot be conducted remotely. These measures by government authorities may remain in place for a significant period of time and they are likely to continue to adversely affect our test volume, sales activities and results of operations.
The spread ofCOVID-19 has caused us to modify our business practices (including employee travel, mandating that allnon-essential personnel work from home, temporary closures of our offices, and cancellation of physical participation in sales activities, meetings, events and conferences), and we may take further actions as may be required by government authorities or that we determine are in the best interests of our employees, customers and business partners. Such actions could also impact our ability to fully integrate businesses we have acquired and those we may acquire in the future. There is no certainty that such actions will be sufficient to mitigate the risks posed by the virus or otherwise be satisfactory to government authorities. If significant portions of our workforce are unable to work effectively, including due to illness, quarantines, social distancing, government actions or other restrictions in connection with theCOVID-19 pandemic, our operations will be impacted.
The extent to which theCOVID-19 pandemic impacts our business, results of operations and financial condition will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted, including, but not limited to, the duration and spread of the pandemic, its severity, the actions to contain the virus or treat its impact, and how quickly and to what extent normal economic and operating activities can resume. TheCOVID-19 pandemic could limit the ability of our customers, suppliers and business partners to perform, including third-party payers’ ability to make timely payments to us during and following the pandemic. We may also experience a shortage of laboratory supplies or a suspension of services from other laboratories or third parties. Even after theCOVID-19 pandemic has subsided, we may continue to experience an adverse impact to our business as a result of its global economic impact, including any recession that has occurred or may occur in the future.
Specifically, difficult macroeconomic conditions, such as decreases in per capita income and level of disposable income, increased and prolonged unemployment or a decline in consumer confidence as a result of theCOVID-19 pandemic, as well as limited or significantly reduced points of access of our tests, could have a material adverse effect on the demand for our tests. Under difficult economic conditions, consumers may seek to reduce discretionary spending by forgoing our tests. Decreased demand for our tests, particularly in the United States, could negatively affect our overall financial performance. Because a significant portion of our revenue is concentrated in the United States, where the impact ofCOVID-19 has been significant, theCOVID-19 pandemic could have a disproportionately negative impact on our business and financial results.
There are no comparable recent events which may provide guidance as to the effect of the spread ofCOVID-19 and a pandemic, and, as a result, the ultimate impact of theCOVID-19 pandemic or a similar health epidemic is highly uncertain and subject to change. We do not yet know the full extent ofCOVID-19’s impact on our business, our operations, or the global economy as a whole. However, the effects could have a material impact on our results of operations, and we will continue to monitor the situation closely.
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