Widespread COVID-19 Testing of College Students and Employees Announced by GENETWORx with On-Campus Managed Testing Programs
GLEN ALLEN, Va., Feb. 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- GENETWORx announced today that it is providing comprehensive mandatory COVID-19 managed testing programs at numerous U.S. colleges this Spring semester.
Diagnostic molecular laboratory GENETWORx is conducting on-campus testing programs with mandatory baseline and repeat testing of all students and staff at diverse colleges around the country. The company has extensive laboratory facilities near Richmond, Virginia and mobile laboratories in New Jersey and Arizona. Among the universities implementing these comprehensive testing programs during the 2021 Spring semester are:
- Widener University in Pennsylvania
- Gwynedd Mercy University in Pennsylvania
- Southern Illinois University in Illinois
- Loyola University Maryland in Maryland
- Alvernia University in Pennsylvania
- Holy Family University in Pennsylvania
- Haverford College in Pennsylvania
- Washington & Lee University in Virginia
- Lewis and Clark State College in Idaho
The colleges partnered with GENETWORx in order to achieve their goals of keeping their student populations safe during the COVID-19 pandemic and still have an on-campus learning environment with some in-person classes. Each college developed their own protocols for campus safety that work in tandem with GENETWORx testing programs mostly operated at on campus locations for students, faculty, and employees.
"A robust COVID-19 testing plan is a major component of our return to campus plan for the spring semester," said Alvernia University Senior Vice President and Provost Glynis Fitzgerald. "Our partnership with GENETWORx for a comprehensive repeat testing program has allowed us to welcome our students to campus for a vibrant semester featuring an in-person learning environment, many student activities and athletics."
"Being able to implement on-campus COVID-19 testing this spring has been very helpful," said President Cynthia Pemberton of Lewis-Clark State College. ""Our 0.48 percent positivity rate is a testament to the exceptional commitment and care of our students, and to their sincere desire to continue face-to-face learning opportunities. I'm incredibly proud of our students and excited about this excellent start to spring semester."
GENETWORx is providing the PCR tests, the expertise and staffing to conduct the testing, and a results notification system. GENETWORx PCR tests have a 99th percentile accuracy range. The laboratory also developed, in partnership with Nucleus, a new app that ties together all aspects of the testing program in an end-to-end digital management system. The app was built on a software platform called Aura. The Aura software provides an easy way for students and staff to schedule testing throughout the semester using individual QR codes which greatly expedite the testing process. The app also alerts the university as well as the student when a positive result is delivered so that outbreaks can be minimized or prevented altogether.
"The severity of this pandemic has been incomprehensible," said Brian O'Neill, Chairman of GENETWORx. "Colleges needed a sequential testing program for early and ongoing detection of the COVID-19 virus to keep their students safe during the pandemic. Early on, we developed an effective managed testing program utilizing new software to meet this important need. Starting last Fall, we were able to assist universities with testing programs that had great success in providing a safe environment for students, faculty, and employees. Our partnerships provide the ability for these institutions to test at the level and scale they need as the pandemic waxes and wanes and allow for real time adjustments such as increasing testing hours to respond to the students and university's needs," he said.
"Our partnership with GENETWORx is one of the main reasons we're able to get our student-athletes back into competition during the spring semester," said Holy Family University Director of Athletics Tim Hamill. "The testing process is simple and noninvasive allowing us to test multiple student-athletes in a short-period of time, while receiving the results in a timely manner. We know testing is going to be a big priority in keeping our student-athletes safe when they return to their respective sports as well as provide a safe environment for our campus community."
Test results are received within 48 hours or less in the app. In addition to fast, accurate testing, comprehensive customer service is a priority. GENETWORx performed over 4 million COVID-19 tests since the pandemic first began. In January, 2020, alone, the laboratory delivered nearly 1 million COVID-19 PCR tests results to colleges, physician groups, assisted living facilities, pharmacies and media chains.
O'Neill stated that, even post pandemic, many colleges and businesses will need to embrace measures that include infection avoidance, including routine testing and protocols to avoid positive COVID-19 results.
"We have been quite pleased with our partnership with GENETWORx this year. They have been responsive to all of our needs, and their rapid delivery of test results and highly professional staff have been vital resources in our handing of the current COVID-19 pandemic," said K.C. Schaefer Executive Director of Auxilliary Services at Washington and Lee University.
"Keeping our campus community safe is our top priority," said Donna Ferguson, Director of Gwynedd Mercy University's Health and Wellness Center. Partnering with GENETWORx for a comprehensive testing program has helped us maintain a safe learning environment for our students, faculty and staff, and helped provide some extra certainty during this very uncertain time."
GENETWORx, located in Glen Allen, Va., is a fully integrated CAP/CLIA certified high complexity molecular diagnostic laboratory. In addition to COVID-19 testing, the company also provides pharmacogenomic DNA genotyping and infectious disease testing. The laboratory offers an all-in-one combination influenza/COVID-19/RSV test, a PCR saliva test, and antibody testing for the COVID-19 virus. Please visit Genetworx.com for further information and follow us on Linked In. For media interviews contact: Terri C. Malenfant at [email protected].
SOURCE GENETWORx
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