Photo by Staff Sgt . Caleb Vance .
Photo by Senior Master Sgt . Emily Beightol-Deyerle .
Photo by Edwin Wriston .
Photo by Edwin Wriston . test in hotspot areas . The labs , which were designed by Captain Samantha Fabian , can run more than 30 test samples in eight hours , taking anywhere between five to 13 minutes per test .
The testing labs are primarily stationed in Charleston and Morgantown , with the Charleston lab responsible for rapid testing in central and southern parts of the state and the Morgantown lab for the northern region and both panhandles . The DHHR alerts the Guard when rapid testing is needed , and a lab is deployed to the location within 45 minutes of being notified .
“ We were the first military organization in the U . S . Department of Defense to stand up a rapid test capability ,” says Hoyer . “ That has been a significant benefit to the state .”
Overcoming a Shortage
One of the biggest challenges Americans faced at the onset of the pandemic was finding approved personal protective equipment ( PPE ). The WVNG provided supplies to two correctional centers in the state — Lakin Correctional Center in Mason County and Denmar Correctional Center in Pocahontas County — to task incarcerated people residing there with making reusable masks and gowns . As of June , the Guard , working alongside private organizations and prison industries , helped produce 99,000 masks and 5,000 isolation gowns to build a 180-day stockpile in preparation of a potential COVID-19 surge .
“ The commissioner at one of the institutions called me and said inmates were coming up to the correctional staff and saying it was the first time in their lives anybody had thanked them for something or that they had been told they had value ,” says Hoyer . “ If we can start making gowns and distributing them inside the state , it reduces the cost to our health care providers in West Virginia and puts some additional money back into the prison system . More importantly , it can rehabilitate somebody . That is taking a bad situation and turning it into a longterm opportunity .”
In another effort to provide PPE to both civilians and medical personnel in West Virginia , the Guard has collaborated with higher education institutions and businesses in the state to design an N95-equivalent , 3D printed mask , coined the West Virginia Mask . N95 masks are respirators recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) for health care workers to filter out large and small particles and block out 95 % of small particles . The CDC does not recommend civilians wear these masks in order to save the resources for health care workers battling the coronavirus on the front lines .
“ In the Guard , one of our principles is to manage challenges and turn them into opportunities ,” says Hoyer . “ If we can make N95-equivalent masks we can sell to health care providers long-term at a reasonable cost and we no longer have to rely on supply chains outside the U . S ., not only did we solve a problem , we created an opportunity going forward .”
Working with the West Virginia University Center for Inhalation Toxicology , the Guard is currently creating prototypes of the West Virginia Mask for approval by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health . Once approval is received , the Guard will begin mass producing the masks . The West Virginia Mask also features an available area for an oxygen or water tube , which will allow health care workers to provide oxygen to patients in a safe way or allow them to safely drink water without removing their mask .