Ohio State Develops Swabs, Solution For Coronavirus Testing

COLUMBUS, OH — The FDA has approved developments to expand and accelerate testing for the new coronavirus in Ohio. The new testing capabilities were created by scientists at The Ohio state University Wexner Medical Center.

American health systems have struggled to obtain key test kit components, including swabs used to collect samples and the sterile solution used to transport the swabs. Testing kits typically include swabs and vials filled with a liquid called viral transport media or VTM.

A team of researchers at Ohio State created a recipe to make VTM. The liquid is essentially a salt solution buffered in a way necessary to stabilize COVID-19. The university has created more than 100 liters of VTM, enough for up to 30,000 test kits.

“Because of this new viral transport media, thousands of people will be tested for COVID-19 who otherwise would have had no other option,” said Dr. Andrew Thomas, chief clinical officer at the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center. Sharing the VTM recipe and the actual solution with other health systems is key to making testing more widely available, Thomas added.

Researchers at Wexner Medical Center also worked with faculty and staff at The Ohio State colleges of Engineering and Dentistry to create and 3-D print more than 50,000 new swabs for COVID-19 test kits. Those swabs will be sent to hospitals throughout Ohio.

“We’re fortunate to have the scientists and the resources at Ohio State’s seven health sciences colleges and across campus to create these vital materials and to be able to serve other hospital systems in Ohio and around the country that need them,” said Dr. Hal Paz, executive vice president and chancellor for Health Affairs at The Ohio State University. “This is what Buckeyes do. We collaborate to solve society’s biggest problems. We’re all in this together.”