Kansas State University has announced they will be offering Covid-19 testing to students, faculty and staff.
University students, faculty and staff who need testing either because they are ill and have COVID-19 symptoms or because they have been exposed to someone with the virus are elligible for the tests. The university has been assisting the state with testing since the stay at home orders went into place across Kansas.
Students, faculty and staff can be tested at Lafene Health Center, and then testing samples are sent to the Kansas State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory for analysis. The laboratory has moved personnel, molecular equipment and computers into the Biosecurity Research Institute, to conduct the analysis.
For now, the testing is on a case-by-case basis and is only available for K-State students, faculty and staff. K-Staters should call their primary physician or Lafene Health Center at 785-532-6544 before they visit the health center. After a phone discussion, if testing is warranted, Lafene Health Center is able to see the patients.
Right now, the lab can perform around 270 tests per day. They hope in the future to be able to conduct larger community testing called surveillance testing to determine how widespread the virus may be in Manhattan.
