Syracuse, N.Y. -- SUNY Upstate Medical University is taking its coronavirus testing expertise to Albany, where officials will offer saliva tests to workers and travelers, according to state officials.
The tests are voluntary and will start for workers on Friday, according to SUNY Chancellor Jim Malatras.
The tests will be free to airport workers, though the Albany International Airport’s board still needs to approve the effort, according to SUNY.
Outgoing and incoming travelers will be offered the tests, though they will cost $30 to $60, according to SUNY.
The tests for passengers who want to do the saliva test at the airport will cost about $30.
There’s also a take-home option, which costs about $60. That kit comes with instructions to test four days after arriving at the passenger’s destination. The kit comes with instructions about how to do the test and mail it back to Upstate.
Other diagnostic tests average $100 to $150 each, according to SUNY.
Malatras said today the new effort comes as SUNY is testing fewer students on campus. He said he believed the Albany airport officials reached out with the idea.
Upstate’s president, Dr. Mantosh Dewan, said today there’s potential to work with Syracuse Hancock International Airport on a similar opportunity, according to Malatras.
The saliva tests developed at Upstate were approved by the FDA in September. The state also used the tests -- which pool saliva from several people to streamline testing -- at its 64 campuses throughout the fall.
The test was developed by Upstate and Quadrant Biosciences, a company located on Upstate’s campus that collaborates with Upstate researchers. The system can process as many as 200,000 samples a week.
The Albany airport is building a testing site, which should be done by the end of the week.
The test is conducted by using saliva swabs instead of swabs inserted in a person’s nose. The samples are processed in Upstate’s lab.
The samples are combined into a single “pooled” sample which is tested for coronavirus. If the entire pooled sample tests negative, that means the 15 to 25 people whose samples are included in the pooled sample are presumed to be coronavirus free.
If a pooled sample tested positive, each individual used to have to provide new samples for retesting.
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