With Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announcing earlier this week that he was allowing his shelter-in-place order to expire on Thursday, April 30, and that some businesses can begin re-opening — with certain restrictions — on Friday, May 1, the need for increased COVID-19 testing around the state is paramount.
The Texas A&M Veterinary Lab has the ability to conduct those tests — yes, on humans — but, according to Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp, federal red tape is “is holding back the state agency from widespread testing — even in Amarillo as the Panhandle has become a hotbed for the coronavirus,” according to a press release from the Texas A&M University System.
“Increased testing is the key to safely opening up the economy,” Sharp said. “The federal government needs to let us unleash the full potential of our diagnostic veterinary labs.”
The Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory is a component of Texas A&M AgriLife. It has more testing capability than any public lab in the state and could run as many as 300 samples per day in its Center and Gonzales labs, another 1,000 per day in Amarillo and as many as 1,800 per day in College Station, according to the press release.
The TVMDL lab in College Station began limited human testing through a temporary partnership with a local health care provider on Monday, April 27. But for more than a month, “Texas A&M System officials have hit a roadblock at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services while trying to fully scale up TVMDL labs for human testing,” the press release noted.
Amarillo Congressman Mac Thornberry is supporting A&M’s efforts, saying, “Many of the steps we can take to deal with COVID-19 are really common sense. Animal health professionals, such as those at the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory in Amarillo, maintain the highest medical standards and can make a major contribution to more testing in the Panhandle.
“I will continue to push federal agencies to make better use of the resources we have available in this fight,” Thornberry said.
TVMDL routinely performs 900,000 tests annually, with more than 64,000 of those tests using the same method used to test for COVID-19, a process called polymerase chain reaction or PCR. And while the supplies to run the human PCR test are different than those used for animals, the equipment and the testing process are the same, the press release pointed out
While HHS generally requires people with human lab experience to oversee human testing, the press release said, TVMDL staff have years of formal education, training and experience in the procedures.
The Texas A&M System is seeking a waiver in light of the pandemic, and considering the fact that Texas has one of the nation’s lowest rates of COVID-19 testing per capita. TVMDL would use the same FDA-approved test kit as other labs.
VMDL Director Dr. Bruce Akey said, “There are not a lot of differences between human and animal PCR tests. Aside from the testing reagents used, the equipment and testing process are identical.”
Texas A&M officials believe TVMDL is “a natural fit to provide such a public service. The agency is a part of the National Animal Health Laboratory Network), a group of state and regional veterinary laboratories performing surveillance testing for the US Department of Agriculture. They follow strict federal standards to ensure the quality and reliability of testing,” according to the press release.
Akey said, “We provide the highest quality service every day to veterinary clients. Although this will be the first time in TVMDL’s history to test human clinical samples, we have all the equipment, supplies, and expertise to help make a lasting impact in Texas.”
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