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Local university prepares to process 10,000 COVID-19 tests a week

PITTSBURGH — As universities prepare to welcome students and staff back to campus, Carnegie Mellon University has implemented a new lab that will provide COVID-19 testing to the school’s community to help stop the spread of COVID-19.

”I think testing makes all of us safer. It makes the campus safer,” said Carnegie Mellon student Zhe Hung.

Carnegie Mellon started testing students and staff at the beginning of the fall semester, focusing on testing those without symptoms.

Now that the spring semester has arrived, and the threat of COVID-19 remains high, the university is taking extra steps to protect their community.

“If you are going to be on campus, we will expect you to get a weekly test,” said Michael McQuaide, Vice President of Research at CMU.

The university plans on testing all faculty, staff and students through saliva samples.

“People deliver a sample in a tube under the watchful eye of a trained observer to make sure we get a good sample, and then you’re done,” said McQuaide.

Those samples are then sent to the university’s COVID-19 test lab, where more than 10,000 samples will be processed each week.

“We brought in biologists and chemical engineers and roboticists and human factors people, so (a) classic CMU approach to solving a problem,” said McQuaide.

COVID-19 testing isn’t required for every student, but is highly encouraged for people who need to come to campus.