Back in April, Oregon State University launched a program to test randomly selected Corvallis households for COVID-19. Now, that tracing effort is coming to Eugene.
The TRACE Community (Team-based Rapid Assessment of Community-level coronavirus Epidemics) program is expected to provide deeper knowledge of the prevalence of COVID-19 in Lane County’s largest city.
OSU will collaborate with the University of Oregon, training teams of students to test people on their doorsteps or porches, in 30 neighborhoods within Eugene city limits.
OSU’s Steve Clark assured the process is safe. “All team members that go door to door and participate in TRACE Community have been trained and they have been tested for COVID-19. They do not bear the virus.”
Clark said the goal is to nasal swab test up to 600 people on November 7th and 8th. At the same time, researchers from both universities will collect samples of wastewater in Eugene and Springfield to analyze for viral markers of the disease.
Community members who participate in TRACE Community-Eugene will be tested free of charge and receive results within 5 to 10 days. The program was funded by Pacific Source Health Plans.
