MM 10.1: Big Ten partners with diagnostic company and manufacturer of rapid antigen tests

The Big Ten Conference officially announced a partnership with Biodesix, Inc., and Quidel Corporation Tuesday, as the league works to reach its rigorous COVID-19 testing standards.

Biodesix, a leading diagnostic company with a focus on lung disease, will oversee and manage on site antigen testing sanctioned by Quidel, the manufacturer of the FDA-authorized SOFIA 2 SARS rapid antigen test, per release. Individuals who are presumptively positive according to results of this antigen surveillance testing will be referred to their own institution’s health staff for confirmatory PCR testing.

“Along with its medical and scientific capabilities as a certified laboratory, Biodesix is committed to helping the Big Ten meet [its] testing requirements and reporting protocols,” said Dr. Jim Borchers, co-chair of the conference’s Return to Competition Task Force medical subcommittee and Ohio State head team physician. “Quidel’s rapid antigen testing technology represents the ability to perform COVID-19 surveillance testing on a large scale with prompt results.”

Daily testing for all fall student-athletes in the also started Wednesday as football teams get underway with camp ahead of the season’s start on Oct. 24. Throughout this week, Biodesix administrators will be at every Big Ten campus, coinciding with the first shipment of the rapid antigen testing kits from Quidel. Biodesix and its designated contractor, Maxim Healthcare Staffing Services, Inc., will assume all day-to-day sample collection and surveillance testing responsibilities, per release.

As announced in the conference’s return to play plan, any football players who test positive will be put in quarantine and held out of all competition for 21 days. More information on testing protocol can be found here.

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