Coronavirus In Minnesota: Experts Weigh In On The Latest COVID-19 Testing
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MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Some of the world's leading experts on COVID-19 testing offered some sobering and encouraging news.
The experts from the University of Minnesota and the Mayo Clinic testified before the Minnesota Senate state panel Tuesday. The hearing focused on all aspects of testing, including how long those who get COVID-19 have immunity after they recover.
The experts told senators they still don't know how long those who have recovered have immunity.
"We still have a lot to learn about how long an immunity to this virus lasts, it it a month, is it 6 months is it a year, or is it the lifetime, my guess is it's probably a year or less," Dr. Matthew Binnicker said.
The Mayo Clinic and the University of Minnesota are working together to develop what Gov. Tim Walz has called a Minnesota moonshot -- the capability of doing thousands of tests a day in the state, to determine who is not at risk and can go back to work and their pre-covid lives.
Doctors say while there is worldwide interest in their work, their priority is providing testing for Minnesota.
"The first of everything is the commitment to Minnesota," said Dr. Jakub Tolar, University of Minnesota Medical School Dean.
But Sen. Scott Jensen who is also a family doctor expressed his frustration.
"There is no place that I can tell someone to go for a test in Carver County without them having to go through an emergency room or an urgent care center, which generally get them to a thousand dollar bill," Jensen said.
The doctors and state officials at the hearing insist that despite numbers that say otherwise, testing is ramping up in Minnesota. And the State Commissioner of Health said today that the state would have announcements on testing developments and protocols later this week.
The Minnesota Department of health released the latest figures that shows 1,134 people were tested yesterday, and just over 47,000 people have been tested all together.
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