Beyond the Bus

Here at CATA, we are proud of our partnership with Michigan State University, especially during these hard times. Although MSU had to move classes online for the semester, that hasn’t stopped Spartans from joining the fight against COVID-19. Here are some ways MSU is helping to flatten the curve.

New COVID-19 Test Development

MSU researchers have developed a new COVID-19 test that provides quicker and more accurate results than other common tests. This method is much more sensitive and can detect the virus at small levels that the common test would miss, according to an MSU report. Developed by a team of researchers in the MSU College of Human Medicine, the test could be available for public use by the end of April. Learn more about MSU’s new COVID-19 test here. 

Face Mask Decontamination

Researchers at MSU have created a process that decontaminates masks used by healthcare workers treating COVID-19 patients. This game-changing process, created by an MSU Extension Team, involves baking the masks in commercial ovens, allowing them to be reused at least 20 times. The team has been working with Sparrow Hospital to see if this process can be used with the hospital’s equipment, and hopes to share their work with other communities around the nation in the near future. Click here to learn more about MSU’s new decontamination process. 

Helping the country through this difficult time is an important part of MSU’s existence, said MSU President Samuel Stanley Jr. in a recent interview. “While this pandemic has created a variety of challenges, our university continues to find the will to innovate, respond and make a positive impact around the state, nation and world.”

Proud Partners

These are just two of the many reasons CATA is a proud partner of MSU. In CATA's 2019 Community Report, MSU staff and students discussed what the partnership means to them. View their testimonials in the Community Report here or watch them below.