As Mayo Clinic continues to lead the research and treatment efforts in the fight against COVID-19, U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar took a tour Friday to see just how much progress they've made.

"I think the treatments are getting better, the knowledge is getting better and Mayo has been such a major part of that national scene," said Klobuchar.

During the tour, Klobuchar saw Mayo Clinic's testing process, the research being done to treat patients infected by the virus, and the safety measures put in place to keep patients safe. Klobuchar added it was probably the most interesting thing she learned during the tour, "Mayo is at ninety-percent open. I didn't know that, I knew a lot about the testing but I didn't know the progress they've made in putting these safety measures in place to the point where they're seeing so many patients and doing so many surgeries now," she said.

Klobuchar knows first-hand how it is to care for a family member who have been sick with COVID-19. Her husband, John, became sick with the new coronavirus earlier this year. Klobuchar expressed her thrill at how quickly test results are released since her husband waited six days after being tested in Washington, D.C. to get test results, "He was so sick that nearly everyone knew he had it at the point in the hospital, but we still didn't have the test back," she said.

Klobuchar says she's impressed with Mayo Clinic's efforts in the fight against COVID-19

Mayo Clinic shared that they are making progress in their Convalescent Plasma Therapy Program. They say they are optimistic about the research being done, treatments they are developing, and how they're doing better to source donors who have recovered from COVID-19, "We're starting new combination therapies where multiple drugs will e given to patients who have COVID and we're optimistic that that will lead to continued improved outcomes," said Dr. Andrew Badley, an infectious diseases specialist at Mayo Clinic.

Klobuchar says she's proud of the work Mayo Clinic is doing and how their efforts has kept Minnesota afloat with its COVID response.

She added that she disagreed with comments made by President Donald Trump about slowing down testing. Klobuchar also said other states aren't as fortunate when dealing with COVID-19 crisis right now. She stressed that the world needs a national strategy, "It's so clear we need more testing and not less testing. And we need organized testing around the country that's why we need a national strategy. But some of these other states are having to react. That's what you do when you're a leader you've got to react to changing circumstances and the president should be doing the same," said Klobuchar.