Gold Standard Testing for Gold Medal Hopefuls
by USA Boxing
USA Boxing safely trains for Tokyo using Meenta for COVID-19 Testing
Meenta, the world’s largest testing marketplace, and USA Boxing, announce their COVID-19 testing partnership and success in implementing ‘best-in-class’ athlete safety and testing protocols since January 2021. The protocols, which include bubble guidelines, are essential so these high-risk athletes can train together and stay safe while they prepare for the 2021 Olympic Games. Bubble guidelines are set to keep a group of people isolated from everyone else and as safe as possible from contracting and/or spreading COVID-19. The partnership has evolved as cutting edge options have become available through the Meenta marketplace, like Visby Medical’s COVID-19 Point of Care rapid PCR test, which provides gold-standard accuracy and was used for the onsite testing performed by Dr. Kirk O’Donnell at the 6 week long Chula Vista training camp. Meenta’s goal of revolutionizing the way the world accesses diagnostic testing with their marketplace has allowed Team USA Boxing to participate in full contact training, and stay focused on reaching their goals as champions.
“Over the course of four months and despite surges and new variants, Meenta and Team USA Boxing have worked hand in hand to keep athletes and staff safe and training efficiently.” said Meenta’s Chief Medical Officer, Kirk O'Donnell, MD. This relationship has spanned across three distinct multi-week events, and ongoing testing throughout. During this time, Meenta has provided over 300 tests, and their recommended interventions and testing protocols have prevented major outbreaks. Dr. O’Donnell personally attended training events as well as provided ongoing remote support for issues and virtual observations of group testing to keep Team USA Boxing safe during their travels through Colorado Springs, Chula Vista, Spain, Bulgaria, and more.
Due to the safety protocol and testing plans set in place, the six positive cases identified at the training camps through surveillance testing didn’t lead to any additional spread. All were able to be rapidly identified, and were immediately separated from the rest of the group which avoided an internal epidemic, and cancellation of competitions/training.
“USA Boxing continues to work tirelessly to provide a safe competitive training environment for our athletes,” stated USA Boxing Executive Director, Mike McAtee.“In addition to USOPC Sport Medicine consultation, we sought outside expertise to help ‘COVID-proof’ our training camps for 2021. We partnered with Meenta because they could not just provide top-notch scientific and clinical expertise, but could get us easy access to tests and affordable and reliable solutions,” added McAtee.
“We immediately recognized USA Boxing’s high stakes testing challenges and quickly put the benefits of Meenta’s platform to work,” said Meenta CEO, Gabor Bethlendy. “Meenta’s access to multiple test types, combined with our network of labs and fast result times, allowed us to build a ‘best-in-class’ testing strategy for USA Boxing” added Bethlendy. COVID-19 detection is the first of many advanced testing products to be available on the Meenta Marketplace.
Due to the close human interaction during training, USA Boxing sought out Meenta’s expertise and testing platform to build-upon and improve the organization’s COVID-19 testing and bubble protocols for its training camp. “Every missed day of training has performance consequences. So, we needed our testing strategy to be tight and with few or no interruptions,” stated Matt Johnson, USA Boxing High Performance Director.
“I’m blessed that USA Boxing is taking every necessary precaution to ensure our safety,” said Darius Fulghum, USA Boxing Olympic Qualification Team Member and recent nursing school graduate. “The amount of testing we do shows that our health is a priority above all. USA Boxing has provided a safe and secure environment that still allows us to train at an elite level, and for that I am thankful.”
Meenta is proud of this opportunity to support team USA and all the athletes pursuing their Olympic dream. To learn more about what Meenta has to offer other organizations like sports teams, employers, universities, schools, summer camps, and individuals, please visit: https://marketplace.meenta.io/
For more information, please contact:
Kirk O’Donnell, MD, CMO
Meenta
(Kirk@meenta.io) - 314-452-3780
Dan Miller, Digital Marketing Manager
Meenta
(Dan@Meenta.io) - 339-793-3066
Meenta was born out of the idea that life science and diagnostics could greatly benefit from the technological revolution that has forever changed the way we shop, dine, vacation, and catch a ride. Grounded in technology and sitting at the intersection of supply and demand, the Meenta marketplace brings together the widest array of testing products and laboratory services combined with world-class scientific expertise and clinical oversight all in one place. Meenta exists to completely revolutionize the way the world accesses diagnostic testing and laboratory capabilities. Our vision is to make all of the world's scientific equipment and clinical tests accessible to everyone. Any test. Any time. One marketplace.
USA Boxing is the National Governing Body for Olympic-style boxing in the United States and a member organization of the United States Olympic Committee. With over 40,000 members, including athletes, coaches, officials, physicians and administrators, USA Boxing sanctions all Olympic-style boxing competition in the United States.