July 22, 2020 5:30p
(WGTD)---The City of Racine has become a proving ground for a new COVID-19 diagnostic test that's being developed by the mayor's brother.
Dr. Christopher Mason, an associate professor of physiology and biophysics at Cornell University Medical College in New York, is seeking approval from the Food and Drug Administration to market a saliva-based test that produces results on the spot 30-40 minutes after it's administered. In addition to being quicker, the test is less intrusive than the standard nasal swab.
Mayor Cory Mason invited his brother to return to his hometown to set up a program that continues to evaluate the effectiveness of the saliva test, while at the same time determining the efficacy of having firefighters administer and process them.
Dr. Mason enlisted the help of Alison Kriegel, an associate professor at the Medical College of Wisconsin. Kriegel and Dr. Mason are childhood friends who actually met as 1st graders on a school bus in Racine.
A make-shift lab was set up in the Racine City Hall Annex. A number of firefighters volunteered for training, and the first tests have been administered to first responders in the city.
One goal of the project is to retest city employees on a regular basis to keep the pool of city workers and citizens who interact with them safe.
Cornell has donated $250,000 worth of hardware and supplies, enough for 10,000 tests. Eventually, non-city employees are expected to be offered tests.
Drs. Mason and Kriegel appeared virtually before the Racine City Council Tuesday night to make a presentation and answer questions. The alders then approved a contract.
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