MOSCOW, Idaho — The University of Idaho is still working to get its coronavirus testing lab up and running.
The school announced Friday that of all the students and staff members who have been tested for coronavirus, only one percent have tested positive. As of Friday, Aug. 14, the school has completed around 2,300 tests. University leaders said they plan to complete around 24,000 tests over the course of the semester, including every student returning to school.
Student and staff tests being conducted at UI are done by Gritman Medical Center. The hospital sends the tests to the labs they're using to be processed, but that will change once UI starts its own lab.
University of Idaho English professor Ben James was tested for coronavirus at UI's student rec center on Monday. On Friday, the professor said he hasn't received his test results.
"It's very worrying, obviously,” James said. “It makes me think the tests are going to be irrelevant. Because people could be doing anything between taking the test and when they get a result."
In-person learning at the university is set to begin Aug. 24. To help process the tests, UI has been setting up their own testing lab at nearby Gritman Medical Center. Once that happens, school leaders said tests will be turned around in a day with people then getting their results in another day or two. UI confirms with KREM that their lab isn't up and running yet because it's still being certified through Incyte Diagnostics."The testing lab is not yet operational. We are sending our swabs to a commercial lab until we finalize the certification process. We are getting results and will be able to speed up those results as soon as we check all the regulatory boxes.
"The testing lab is not yet operational. We are sending our swabs to a commercial lab until we finalize the certification process. We are getting results and will be able to speed up those results as soon as we check all the regulatory boxes," university spokesperson Jodi Brown said in an email to KREM.
UI is sending student and staff tests to Gritman. In addition to its own testing, the hospital is using six labs to process the UI tests, including some commercial labs across the country.
School officials said the one percent who tested positive for the virus includes some people who were known to be positive and are no longer infectious. Some, like James, meanwhile, worry if the school has bit off more than it could chew. He and his colleagues are preparing to go back into classrooms in just a matter of weeks.
"The real concern is for the health and safety of the community and for my colleagues. And for the students, obviously, as well," James said.
While UI confirmed with KREM that its lab wasn't open just yet, university administration didn't immediately respond to additional questions on Friday seeking comment for this story.