Credit: University of Glasgow
Deputy News Editor
The University is teaming up with Public Health Scotland to combat the virus.
The University has announced that it will host a Covid-19 testing facility within the city in a move to help the UK and Scottish Governments and the NHS fight the spread of the coronavirus.
This facility comes as increased testing is being carried out across the UK in response to the spread of Covid-19.
The facility will be opened in collaboration with the Scottish Government, The University of Dundee’s Drug Discovery Unit, and drug discovery service BioAscent Discovery Ltd.
The testing centre will be held at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital Campus and will have suitable capacity to hold more Covid-19 tests daily and will start doing so in mid-April. It will be staffed 24/7 with more than 500 volunteers, including highly experienced bioinformaticians, molecular scientists and technicians who will carry out testing.
Professor Dame Anna Dominiczak, the University of Glasgow vice principal and Head of the College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, said on the new facility: “The World Health Organisation has been clear that testing is essential to push back the spread of this new coronavirus. I am pleased that the University of Glasgow can now offer the country this new, large-scale testing facility, in conjunction with our industry partners and the NHS.
“I am incredibly grateful to all colleagues who have volunteered their time, expertise and skills for this testing facility. As a result of their willingness to help, we have a team of highly skilled people, a clinical space and the core equipment to start work alongside our NHS colleagues immediately.”
Professor Sir Anton Muscatelli, the principal of the University of Glasgow, also said: “I am indebted to the many people from across our University community who have worked so hard to establish this Centre, but whose hard work is of course only just beginning. I am also very grateful to the Scottish Government’s Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport, Jeane Freeman, whose support was invaluable; and to the Office for Life Sciences for leading this initiative.
“As we seek to get through this crisis, it is vital that we can marshal all of Scotland’s resources in a great, national effort – and the University of Glasgow will continue to do everything we can to help in the fight against this virus.”
