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This page offers all of Delaware Public Media's ongoing coverage of the COVID-19 outbreak and how it is affecting the First State. Check here regularly for the latest new and information.

DSU unveils more details about plan to test students, staff

Milton Pratt
/
Delaware Public Media

Delaware State University is among the Historically Black Colleges and Universities getting help with COVID-19 testing.

The support is coming from a partnership between the nonprofit Testing for America, the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and the United Negro College Fund.

"The results are slated to come back within 24 to 34 hours, that's what's great because we need to know readily,” Testing for America advisor Dr. Joan Coker told NBC’s Today Show. 

DSU is requiring students and staff to get tested before coming to campus this fall, and tests will be administered on campus throughout the semester.

Dr. Coker says these tests will provide more accuracy than other COVID-19 tests, and it will reduce false negatives.

"At this point we know the full genealogy of the virus, therefore we'll do gene sequencing of the virus so it's a simple yes or no, and in as such we'll be able to sequence very quickly we'll be able to wrap up and we're hopeful to wrap up ten to thousands of tests per day,” said Coker. “Most of our vendors are even hopeful that we may be able to get up to 100,000 tests per day, it's amazing."

DSU President Dr. Tony Allen on NBC’s Today Show said the new partnership will help keep the university community safe.

"We created an opening plan that had the basics of science with Testing for America and the testing protocol at the heart of it and it extended all the things we know will keep us safe and our university community safe throughout the fall semester,” he said. 

DSU officials say the university will convert one of its residence halls this fall into a quarantine area for COVID-positive patients.

 

Joe brings over 20 years of experience in news and radio to Delaware Public Media and the All Things Considered host position. He joined DPM in November 2019 as a reporter and fill-in ATC host after six years as a reporter and anchor at commercial radio stations in New Castle and Sussex Counties.
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