Genetic analysis of COVID-19 samples at UC Riverside is helping state officials prepare for potential infection surges caused by new variants of the disease. Variants, like Delta or Omicron, can render COVID-19 vaccines or antibody treatments less effective, and they can also be spread more easily than the original strain of the virus. UCR’s genetic...
UC Riverside’s COVID-19 testing lab has moved to a larger space at Webber Hall, where the lab team has more than doubled the number of samples it can process. The move was completed Sept. 15, a day before move-in weekend, when the lab tested around 7,000 samples from incoming student residents over a five-day period...
Since mid-April, UC Riverside has had only a handful of positive COVID-19 cases, continuing a rapid decline that began in January. Campus leaders involved in COVID-19 prevention efforts credit the low positivity rate to proactive efforts including the creation of a homegrown diagnostic lab, regular testing of students, and continuous messaging about the importance of...
UC Riverside’s COVID-19 laboratory has added more space and staff as testing on campus continues to ramp up. About two months after opening, the diagnostic lab has increased its capacity as part of the campus’s regular coronavirus testing of students in residence halls. “We’re always trying to streamline and make the process faster,” said Kathy...
UC Riverside’s “homemade” COVID-19 testing lab has drawn widespread attention from Southern California media. The acknowledgment of the new lab’s success comes at a time when some universities across the nation have struggled to prevent campus outbreaks. The lab – created by UCR faculty – places the university in the elite company of universities including...
UC Riverside is doing its own testing for the novel coronavirus. The Inland Empire campus of about 25,000 students opened a COVID-19 testing laboratory in September and is processing 400 test samples per day, said Rodolfo Torres, vice chancellor for research and economic development. “We’ve been operating at full speed,” Torres said. And the university...
As the fall quarter begins, UC Riverside has a new diagnostic lab operating on campus that will rapidly process samples from students and employees as part of an ongoing coronavirus testing program. The lab, located at the Multidisciplinary Research Building, or MRB, tested its first sample in August and opened in early September. The result...
UC Riverside is opening a diagnostic lab that will allow for expanded and rapid testing of students, staff, and faculty members for the coronavirus. The COVID-19 testing lab, located at the Multidisciplinary Research Building, or MRB, successfully tested its first sample on Aug. 12 and opened in early September. The lab will allow the campus...