Maryland School of Medicine initiates expanded COVID-19 testing initiative

University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) officials said a new $2.5 million State of Maryland funding allotment would aid in initiating a broader COVID-19 testing initiative expanding testing capability.

“The state is in dire need of increased coronavirus testing, and the School of Medicine already has the early infrastructure in place, in terms of our technology and scientific expertise to help close the testing gap,” UMSOM Dean E. Albert Reece said. “This funding provided to us will enable us to better track the spread of the virus and provide swifter diagnoses and treatments to those in need.”

The effort seeks to implement as many as 20,000 tests per day within the next few months, allowing wider access to testing in Maryland through coordination with the City of Baltimore and the State Health Department.

The scope of work involves processing patient samples on robotic platforms with automated technologies housed in a laboratory in the UMSOM Institute for Genome Sciences (IGS). New state funding would allow for the purchasing of additional platforms to facilitate an increase in testing capacity.

“Our state is continuing to marshal every tool in the arsenal of public health to combat the spread of this virus, including the expertise of our university system,” Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said. “Increasing our testing capability is critical moving forward, and I want to thank the Institute for Genome Sciences and the Department of Pathology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine for partnering with us in an effort to significantly expand COVID-19 testing here in Maryland.”