Baylor School To Develop Quicker Test for COVID-19

Chattanooga, TN (WDEF) – The Hamilton County Commission passed a resolution this morning that would grant one point five million dollars to researchers at the Baylor School to produce a faster testing method for COVID19.

Mayor Jim Coppinger says the one point five million dollar grant is reimbursable through the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency.

This new testing method would take the wait time for Coronavirus results from days to hours. It would also allow 60 people to be tested per day to begin and possibly go up to testing as many as 300 to 400 people per day. Tests will be available to medical staff and patients with symptoms first, and then open to the public.

Jimmy Hudson, a Trusteee for Baylor School, said, “Value of the timing of these results you can’t measure it and as we have heard from the hospital group the wait is what is going to answer that question. The value is the timing of the screening, the results and that’s what we came together to solve that problem”

The Baylor School science labs will be leased by the county for testing efforts. The tests results once given would have a turnaround time of about four hours.