Dorms & TTU Lab Could Be Used If Needed In Fight Against COVID-19

Chancellor of the Texas Tech University System, Dr. Tedd Mitchell joined The Chad Hasty Show on Wednesday to discuss the impact the coronavirus has had on Texas Tech and the other campuses.

Dr. Mitchell told KFYO that 500 students remain on the Texas Tech campus and that they are working with families of students who are back home to arrange times for students and families to pick-up belongings from the dorms. Dr. Mitchell also explained that there has been no discussion on the need to raise tuition prices in the future due to the coronavirus and the impact financially it has had on the University System. Instead, the University System is looking at cutting back on expenditures and some construction plans.

Dr. Mitchell also explained how Texas Tech is aiding in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. Mitchell explained that Texas Tech has converted one their biological labs into a clinical lab so the university can do the testing on nasal swabs for this area. Dr. Mitchell also explained how Texas Tech has been a leader in tele-medicine for years and that that has had an increasing impact on the fight.

A concern nationwide has been whether or not there will be enough hospital beds for patients who get sick from the coronavirus. Dr. Mitchell told KFYO that Texas Tech is looking into options.

"We are actually talking about dorms. The other thing to keep in mind is that we have one of the nations best simulation training labs right here in Lubbock, and that simulation training lab that we use to teach physicians, nurses, and other students, we can convert that into a live emergency room, ICU, delivery room, or OR quite literally overnight if we needed to."

Listen to the full interview with Chancellor Dr. Tedd Mitchell above.