Rutgers has created a new COVID-19 center to help fight the pandemic.

The center will serve as a hub for the university's research on the novel coronavirus, and to disseminate information.

Bishr Omary, senior vice chancellor for Academic Affairs and Research at Rutgers Biomedical and Health Services, said Rutgers has already made some pretty big advances. One its evaluation of a point-of-care diagnostic test for the virus that could return results in 45 minutes — right now, those tested with existing methods in New Jersey are seeing about a week's wait.

Rutgers researchers are also working on environment and personal protection equipment decontamination — potentially allowing masks in short supply to be reused safely. They are also looking at new therapies and vaccine developments regarding the coronavirus.

Rutgers is also expected to make an announcement on large-volume testing later this week, Omary said.

"We have no doubt that our new center will be nationally renowned not only as related to COVID-19 research but also other serious infection-related research and preparedness," Omary said.

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