Battelle and OSU develop new COVID-19 coronavirus test

COLUMBUS (WCMH) — Battelle and Ohio State’s Wexner Medical Center announced the development of a new rapid, sensitive diagnostic test for COVID-19 coronavirus.

Wexner Medical Center will begin using the new test under its existing FDA certification permits. The groups say the news test will increase and improve test processing in Ohio.

“The new rapid test will allow for faster turnaround time on test results, which will help ‘flatten the curve,'” Battelle said in a news release.

Battelle said researchers have spend several weeks developing the test at the company’s research lab in West Jefferson.

Ohio State processed its first 91 tests using the process on Wednesday.

Battelle said it is working to bring a lab of its own online in West Jefferson to begin its own testing.

Results of the test can be available in as few as five hours. Initially, the system can process approximately 200 tests per day, but when the infrastructure is fully built over the coming weeks, the goal is to process more than 1,000 test swabs per day.

Ohio State and Battelle teams have shown incredible leadership and ingenuity, in moving this project forward so rapidly,” said Ohio Governor Mike DeWine. “With this collaboration, we will increase testing right here in Ohio to better help health care professionals and public health officials understand, treat, and prevent the spread of the virus.”