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Editorial
. 2020 Oct;69(4):245-248.
doi: 10.2144/btn-2020-0079. Epub 2020 Jun 25.

Empowering academic labs and scientists to test for COVID-19

James Jordan Steel  1 , John C Sitko  1 , Matthew G Adkins  1 , Steven Cm Hasstedt  1 , Joseph W Rohrer  1   2 , Erin A Almand  1
Affiliations
Editorial

Empowering academic labs and scientists to test for COVID-19

James Jordan Steel et al. Biotechniques. 2020 Oct.
No abstract available

Keywords: COVID-19; RTPCR; SARS-CoV-2; asymptomatic; higher education; testing.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Financial & competing interests disclosure

Funding was provided by the Defense Health Agency to the USAFA iGEM team (FA7000-20-2X-9310) and from the United States Air Force Academy, Department of Biology. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.. Potential nonmedical testing sites across USA.
Using the College Navigator application on nces.ed.gov, institutions from across the country were selected based on the following criteria: a 4-year program and the availability of a degree in the biological and biomedical sciences. These locations were pooled and plotted using the online application Datawrapper (https://www.datawrapper.de/). Each single light-blue dot is one institution.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Gudbjartsson DF, Helgason A, Jonsson H. et al. Spread of SARS-CoV-2 in the Icelandic population. N. Engl. J. Med. NEJMoa2006100 (2020). - PMC - PubMed

    2. • Highlights the effects of abundant testing and how it lowers the impact on the society and economy.

    1. Bai Y, Yao L, Wei T. et al. Presumed asymptomatic carrier transmission of COVID-19. J. Am. Med. Assoc. 323(14), 1406–1407 (2020). - PMC - PubMed

    2. • Discusses abundance of asymptomatic infections which are likely a major contributor to the spread of COVID-19 around the globe.

    1. Ali I, Stewart P. USS Theodore Roosevelt: most sailors positive for COVID-19 showed no symptoms of infection. Task and Purpose (2020). https://taskandpurpose.com/news/uss-theodore-roosevelt-sailors-coronavir...

    2. • Department of defense-specific example of asymptomatic infections and testing.

    1. Abdullah C, Parris J, Lie R, Guzdar A, Tour E. Critical analysis of primary literature in a master's-level class: effects on self-efficacy and science-process skills. CBE Life Sci. Educ. 14(3), ar34 (2015). - PMC - PubMed

    2. • Highlights the capabilities of scientists with advanced degrees and their ability to perform the required tests.

    1. Interim Guidance: Healthcare Professionals 2019-nCoV | CDC. Centers Dis. Control (2020). http://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/clinical-criteria.html

    2. • CDC guidelines on COVID-19 and asymptomatic infections and proper protocols.

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