April 2020 Archive

TTUHSC Responds to Call from Gov. Greg Abbott to Increase VTM Capacity for Texas Through Production and Education

By Meaghan Collier
May 06, 2020

In an April 27 press conference, Gov. Greg Abbott spoke of increasing testing availability in Texas—saying the state would aim to test 30,000 people a day in the coming term. His OpenTexas report recognized TTUHSC as a producer of Viral Transport Medium (VTM), a critical component to expanding access to COVID-19 testing across the state.

Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Teams Bring Convalescent Plasma Treatments to West Texas

By Meaghan Collier
April 29, 2020

TTUHSC medical teams from the Panhandle and South Plains recently joined a study led by the Mayo Clinic to use convalescent plasma in severely-ill patients with coronavirus (COVID-19).

How and Why COVID-19 Affects Senior Citizens

By TTUHSC
April 28, 2020

Steven L. Berk, M.D., Executive Vice President and Dean of the TTUHSC School of Medicine, explained the reasons COVID-19 is so deadly in seniors, the lessons the medical community can learn moving forward and what we can all do to support our elderly friends and family members.

The Effects of COVID-19 on the Pharmaceutical Industry

By TTUHSC
April 24, 2020

We spoke with David Simmons, R.Ph., and Eric J. MacLaughlin, Pharm.D., about how pharmacies are handling the changes brought about by the pandemic and what the public needs to know regarding medications and supplies.

How Does COVID-19 Affect Pregnancy and Childbirth?

By TTUHSC
April 15, 2020

With the world continuing to adjust to life under the COVID-19 pandemic, many expectant mothers are understandably anxious about how the virus could affect their pregnancies, their hospital and clinic visits, and first days of parenthood.

TTUHSC Team Successfully Produces Viral Transport Media for COVID-19 Testing

By Meaghan Collier
April 08, 2020

A challenge for the medical professionals across the country battling COVID-19 has been readily available testing components. In Amarillo, in particular, physicians faced a lack of commercially available viral transport media (VTM) testing vials.

TTUHSC Team Decontaminates PPE to Solve Shortages

By Mark Hendricks
April 06, 2020

One suggested way to reduce the stress COVID-19 has placed on the PPE supply chain is to extend the lifetime of existing equipment. With that in mind, a team from TTUHSC has been studying a method that can decontaminate used PPE, especially N95 masks and face shields.

Adherence to Mitigation Strategies Crucial as Manufacturers Struggle to Keep Up

By Kate Gollahon
April 02, 2020

While COVID-19 has caught America off-guard in many ways, one of the most significant is our nation-wide shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE)—something that is already affecting West Texas.

Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Texas Tech University Join Forces to Develop 3D-Printed Face Masks, Shields to Fight COVID-19

By Glenys Young
April 01, 2020

A collaborative group of faculty from Texas Tech University and the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) are joining forces to create 3D-printed face shields and face masks for health care workers in hopes of fighting the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19).

The Importance of Staying Connected

By Kate Gollahon
April 01, 2020

While communities are learning to navigate the new, strange structure of isolation and social distancing, many individuals are attempting to balance that with recovery from addiction.