Molecular Diagnostics Lab continues to process COVID tests; specimen collection is
suspended indefinitely
Jan. 12, 2022
By WSU Strategic Communications
Contact for News Reporters: Lainie Mazzullo-Hart, director of news and media relations, 316-978-3409 or lainie.mazzullo@wichita.edu.
Updated Jan. 18
Wichita State’s Molecular Diagnostics Lab (MDL) is open and continues to process thousands
of COVID tests with 24-hour results. However, the lab has indefinitely suspended its COVID test collection service to focus on the core mission of processing tests
that come in from the many testing partners in the community.
Community collection testing partner dropoff is still open.
“The No. 1 thing we have to focus on right now is processing thousands of tests every
day for our health care workers and collection partners while continuing to provide
24-hour turnaround test results,” says Tonya Witherspoon, executive director of the
MDL.
Witherspoon applauds the 600-plus MDL community testing partners, which represent
more than 3,000 trained collectors, for stepping in and increasing their collections.
This drastically expands access to testing across the community and reduces the lines
at mass collection sites.
“Together as a community, we can work effectively to combat this surge and keep our
families healthy,” Witherspoon says.
Wichita State University serves as the Kansas urban-based research university, enrolling
more than 16,000 students from every state in the U.S. and more than 100 countries.
Wichita State and WSU Tech are recognized for being student centered and innovation
driven.
Located in the largest city in the state with one of the highest concentrations in
the United States of jobs involving science, technology, engineering and math (STEM),
Wichita State University provides uniquely distinctive and innovative pathways of
applied learning, applied research and career opportunities for all of our students.
The Innovation Campus, which is a physical extension of the Wichita State University main campus, is one
of the nation’s largest and fastest-growing research/innovation parks, encompassing
over 120 acres and is home to a number of global companies and organizations.
