LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The University of Louisville is expanding testing efforts across the Greater Louisville area, and testing potential treatments.
As of April 1, UofL researchers have processed 1,797 tests: 1,032 for Norton Healthcare, 288 for UofL Health and 186 for Jewish Hospital. There have been 204 positive tests.
“We now have the capacity to do up to 1,000 cases per day,” said Kevin Gardner, UofL’s executive vice president for research and innovation. “We have researchers who have temporarily dropped all of their other duties to devote their time to the fight against COVID-19.”
Gardner said UofL is producing all test results within 24 hours, and they are processing up to 200 cases per day through their drive-thru testing site at Brook and Liberty streets.
UofL researchers and the university’s Center for Predictive Medicine are hoping to answer urgent questions about how it is spread, who becomes sick and how the illness progresses by processing the tests.
Gov. Andy Beshear has hinted at a partnership to expand testing in the state, and said he will announce it in the next few days.
UofL’s Center for Predictive Medicine Director Kenneth Palmer is also testing potential treatments, including one developed at UofL in partnership with the National Cancer Institute and the University of Pittsburgh.
The research is being supported with $500,000 in funding, but UofL said additional funds are needed to continue the work over time. Donations specifically for the research can be made at give.louisville.edu.
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