TGen is stepping up through the untiring efforts of scientists and staff at TGen’s Pathogen and Microbiome Division (TGen North). The amazing group has a history of tracking the cause and source of disease outbreaks, antibiotic resistance, healthcare-acquired infections, microbial evolution, pathogen dispersal, and emerging infections.
COVID-19 continues to affect lives on a daily basis. Businesses, churches, schools, and other public facilities are closed. Sporting events and meetings are canceled daily. News of the pandemic is constant. Social distancing is becoming the new normal. News reports tell us how hospitals and healthcare providers are short on tests and in need of equipment and supplies. Joining TGen Talks to discuss COVID-19, is Dr. David Engelthaler, co-director of TGen North, the Pathogen and Microbiome Division of TGen located in Flagstaff, Arizona, who discusses the launch of a genomic-based test for COVID-19, and TGen’s collaborative work across the State to test for and track COVID-19.
What began with the first COVID-19 positive patient in November 2019 nearly half-way around the world has — in four short months — become a global pandemic, at a size and scale unprecedented in modern times. The virus is called SARS-CoV-2; the disease it causes, COVID-19. Symptoms include cough, fever, and in more severe cases, difficulty breathing. The country is in a state of national emergency. Hospitals are overwhelmed. Tests, vital medical supplies and equipment are in short supply.
TGen is stepping up through the untiring efforts of scientists and staff at TGen’s Pathogen and Microbiome Division (TGen North). The amazing group has a history of tracking the cause and source of disease outbreaks, antibiotic resistance, healthcare-acquired infections, microbial evolution, pathogen dispersal, and emerging infections.
When the news of COVID-19 broke in mid-January, TGen North scientists immediately began to develop a genomic-based test. Shortly thereafter, TGen received authorization by the FDA under an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA), and Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) certification (ensuring quality laboratory testing) and by March 9 began COVID-19 diagnostic testing in Arizona.
On March 16, TGen worked with a coalition of Coconino County government and healthcare leaders to open the State’s first community drive-through testing facility. And as reported by Coconino County on March 18, our initial round of screening identified the first positive case in that Arizona County.
In addition to diagnostic testing, TGen is also engaged in population-level sequencing to enhance public health’s ability to rapidly identify which strains of COVID-19 are circulating and where, what might be causing focal outbreaks, and how fast the genome is changing. By comparing the genome sequencing results within the context of global genomic information, this COVID-19 sequencing program could additionally inform biomedical researchers in the hunt for better targets for new treatments and vaccines for COVID-19.
This is a remarkable time in human history as this pandemic endangers our way of life, economic prosperity and, most importantly, the health of millions. We are all in this together and TGen is proud to be part of the overall response to this global health emergency.
Please note, however, TGen cannot accept samples directly from patients. If you feel you require testing, please contact your local healthcare provider or personal physician. If you live in Arizona, please call the State’s COVID-19 hotline at 1-844-542-8201.
About TGen
About TGen, an affiliate of City of Hope
Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) is a Phoenix, Arizona-based non-profit organization dedicated to conducting groundbreaking research with life-changing results. TGen is affiliated with City of Hope, a world-renowned independent research and treatment center for cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases: www.cityofhope.org. This precision medicine affiliation enables both institutes to complement each other in research and patient care, with City of Hope providing a significant clinical setting to advance scientific discoveries made by TGen. TGen is focused on helping patients with neurological disorders, cancer, diabetes and infectious diseases through cutting-edge translational research (the process of rapidly moving research toward patient benefit). TGen physicians and scientists work to unravel the genetic components of both common and complex rare diseases in adults and children. Working with collaborators in the scientific and medical communities worldwide, TGen makes a substantial contribution to help our patients through efficiency and effectiveness of the translational process. For more information, visit: www.tgen.org. Follow TGen on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter @TGen.
Source: https://www.tgen.org/news/2020/march/30/tgen-expands-testing-and-tracking-of-covid-19/