Per news release, the Big Ten Conference announced that they’re partnering with Biodesix and Quidel to provide surveillance testing for SARS-CoV-2 for all student-athletes and staff personnel involved in close contact sports competition.
Biodesix is known for it’s focus on lung disease. Quidel will concentrate on the FDA-authorized SOFIA 2 SARS rapid antigen test.
Biodesix will be responsible for overseeing and managing the onsite testing of the Quidel antigen test while additionally validating with its droplet digital PCR (ddPCR™ ) technology.
“The partnership with Biodesix and Quidel is an important step toward achieving our mission of keeping our student-athletes, and the communities that support them, healthy and safe,” said Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren. “The data we are scheduled to collect, and the research component of this partnership, will provide major contributions to all 14 Big Ten institutions as they study COVID-19 and attempt to mitigate the spread of SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) among wider communities.”
Testing will begin on September 30, 2020. Biodesix administrators will be on site this week at each of the 14 Big Ten campuses, coinciding with the first shipment of the rapid antigen testing kits from Quidel. Biodesix and its designated contractor, Maxim Healthcare Staffing Services, Inc., will assume all day-to-day sample collection and surveillance testing responsibilities.
