NEVADA NEEDS HELP
G42 Partners with Nevada Task Force to Fight COVID-19
The United Arab Emirates and G42 have announced a partnership with the Nevada COVID-19 task force with the goal of rolling out high-volume testing throughout the US state.
A spokesperson for the Response, Relief and Recovery Task Force said Thursday that vital testing materials have been acquired thanks to a long-term partnership with the UAE and G42, the leading technology company based in Abu Dhabi.
G42 has created technology that will be used for a long-term “innovative genomic study” for COVID-19 testing and research, according to the Task Force.
“The resources from G42 will substantially increase our ability to conduct COVID-19 testing and research to help us mitigate the effects of this virus on our citizens and visitors during the current crisis,” Task Force chair Jim Murren said in a statement carried by KSNV NBC Las Vegas.
“It will also enable us to fortify our ability to provide a safe and sustainable economic recovery for all of Nevada in the long run.”
“The UAE will continue to provide its support to the international community and promote stronger relationships between countries with the goal of increasing the effectiveness of the global response to the current crisis,” His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, said in statements recently.
The Task Force says the partnership with G42 will help University Medical Center in Las Vegas develop Nevada’s first high-volume testing laboratory.
That lab would be able to support the processing of patient samples taken from hospitals, doctor’s offices, curbside locations and other providers.
Similar high-volume testing is also being developed in Northern Nevada with Renown and the Nevada State Public Health Laboratory.
“The Leadership of Abu Dhabi and the UAE has committed to offering its support to the international community since the beginning of the pandemic,” said a G42 spokesperson. “We feel privileged to make our expertise and technological capabilities available to the State of Nevada. The COVID-19 pandemic has crossed borders and cultures indiscriminately, affecting people’s lives regardless of their race, religion and geography. A widespread testing capability will enable Nevada to rapidly identify infected patients and safeguard the health and wellbeing of the whole community. We thank Governor Sisolak and the COVID-19 Task Force for embracing this collaboration with enthusiasm and determination. Their foresight proves, once more, Nevada’s unconditional commitment to respond to this emergency fiercely and to plan for the future protection of its citizens. We look forward to our continued scientific collaboration focused on public healthcare.”
G42 executives state that one of the greatest challenges they have encountered in their studies of the virus has been the slow pace of testing globally. Competition for scarce COVID-19 testing materials and equipment have thwarted the expansion of testing in Nevada and nationwide. The COVID-19 testing materials and equipment being provided by G42 have served as a catalyst in Nevada’s plans to increase its testing capacity both in the short- and long-term.