H.R. No. 1125
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, Baylor
College of Medicine has undertaken extraordinary efforts to track
and measure the impact of the virus, to research and develop
treatments and vaccines, and to provide the public with accurate
and up-to-date information as the crisis has progressed; and
WHEREAS, After the first case of COVID-19 was detected in the
United States on January 20, 2020, experts from Baylor College of
Medicine were invited by national and international media to share
their expertise; during the weeks that followed, the college's
administrators and faculty were sought out for guidance by city and
county officials, and the institution's leadership role continued
to grow as the scope and severity of the pandemic increased; Baylor
experts have since made appearances on a host of major television
networks and have been featured in numerous print publications, and
the college has published information guides about how to safely
operate schools and businesses; and
WHEREAS, Since Baylor researchers began focusing their
attention on the novel coronavirus, they have uncovered important
findings about the transmission of the virus, about the
characteristics of COVID-19, and about treatments for patients with
severe illness; they have submitted more than 140 applications for
COVID-19-related research studies, 25 of which were approved
treatment trials; in July 2020, the college was selected as one of
the sites for the Moderna vaccine's Phase 3 clinical trial, and
Baylor has also participated in trials for the Novavax and
Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines and in the development of a vaccine
candidate that is currently undergoing trials in India; and
WHEREAS, In addition to pursuing research with global
implications, Baylor has partnered with local government agencies
to contain the spread of the virus; researchers with the college
have joined with Houston and Harris County public health
departments to conduct seroprevalence studies and wastewater
testing and to administer diagnostic tests to the public; to date,
Baylor has provided over 31,000 COVID-19 tests and administered
nearly 30,000 vaccines; and
WHEREAS, Baylor College of Medicine faculty and researchers
have answered the call to action during a complex and ever-evolving
global health crisis, and they are deserving of our lasting
gratitude for their hard work, their ingenuity, and their earnest
commitment to public health; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas
Legislature hereby honor Baylor College of Medicine for its service
during the COVID-19 pandemic and extend sincere gratitude to all
those affiliated with the institution for their important work;
and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for Baylor College of Medicine as an expression of high
regard by the Texas House of Representatives.
A. Johnson of Harris
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 1125 was adopted by the House on May
14, 2021, by a non-record vote.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House