FARMINGTON, Conn. — A new partnership was announced today Thursday. It’s one that will dramatically increase the state’s ability to test for the Coronavirus.
The Jackson Laboratory on the campus of UConn Health in Farmington will soon able to analyze genetic samples. Right now we’re fighting a largely invisible enemy. The state has been saying all along that we need to test more to map this virus, learn about it’s spread and strategize to contain it. This partnership is another step forward.
Practicing social distancing, a digital news conference was held in an empty auditorium. The Jackson Laboratory on the UConn Health campus in Farmington will join the state health lab in Rocky Hill to analyze genetic samples taken from potential COVID-19 carriers.
Dr. Charles Lee is the Director of the Jackson Laboratories. He said, “In this building, we have a state-accredited clinical diagnostic laboratory which we have mobilized to provide COVID-19 diagnostic testing.”
To be clear. The Jackson Laboratory is NOT a collection site. They only analyze the sample. So if you're looking to get tested. We have a list of testing sites on our website.
Dr. Andrew Agwunobi is the CEO of UConn Health. He said, “It’s critical in the state of Connecticut that we bring on as many sources of testing as possible.” And Gov. Ned Lamont said he’s not waiting on the federal government to hit the accelerator.
Gov. Ned Lamont said the state is, “Increasing our ability to test dramatically. It’s up 10 times in the last week and I hope it’s going to be up to 10 times again over the next week or two.”
Testing today will lead to research tomorrow. The Jackson Labs is already making mice available for testing experimental COVID-19 vaccines, like the one that’s being developed by Protein Sciences in Meriden. “It may at some point in the future. Not tomorrow and not next month. But make sure that if there is a second or third wave of this that we are better prepared than we were for the first wave.”
And more good news. it’s not just vaccines. Promising research is emerging from China surrounding existing anti-viral therapy drugs Favipiravir and Remdesivir.
Dr. AJ Kumar of Hartford Healthcare said, “The science is evolving and rapidly changing. Last week we heard there was a trial conducted in China that led to a significant reduction of the viral presence in the patient's body only after 5 days of therapy.”
Doctors say we could know more about the effectiveness of those drugs as soon as the fall. The Jackson Laboratory says they’ll be able to analyze 150 samples per day. They are looking to boost their staff and capacity to push that number even higher.