Abstract
This study is a prospective, population-based cohort of individuals with a history of SARS-CoV-2 infection and those without past infection through multiple recruitment sources. The main study goal is to track health status over time, within the diverse populations of Arizona and to identify the long-term consequences of COVID-19 on health and well-being. A total of 2,881 study participants (16.2% with a confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection) have been enrolled as of December 22, 2020, with a target enrollment of 10,000 participants and a planned follow-up of at least 2 years. This manuscript describes a scalable study design that utilizes a wide range of recruitment sources, leveraging electronic data collection to capture and link longitudinal participant data on the current and emerging issues associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. The cohort is built within a collaborative infrastructure that includes new and established partnerships with multiple stakeholders, including the state's public universities, local health departments, tribes, and tribal organizations. Challenges remain for ensuring recruitment of diverse participants and participant retention, although the electronic data management system and timing of participant contact can help to mitigate these problems.
Highlights
SARS-CoV-2, and its associated disease state COVID-19, have been increasing in incidence globally since the first detailed report emerged in February 2020 [1]
Reports of the infection in patients from Wuhan, China initially indicated that COVID-19 was largely a respiratory illness, with the majority of patients presenting with shortness of breath, dry cough, and, among the severely ill, Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) [6]
In the 14 days before you started feeling ill, did you have close contact with someone who was positive for COVID-19? How many people living in your home were confirmed or suspected to have had COVID-19 since your last survey? What were your COVID-19 test results? Which symptoms did you experience during your illness? Were you hospitalized for this illness? Have you or a family member missed routine or preventative health care since your last survey? This could include dentist appointments, physicals, eye exams, screening, or vaccination appointments for you or your children
Summary
SARS-CoV-2, and its associated disease state COVID-19, have been increasing in incidence globally since the first detailed report emerged in February 2020 [1]. Abnormal radiological findings of the lung were identified in 66.7% (14/21) of asymptomatic individuals [19], but the comparatively small sample size and short duration of this study evinces the need for a larger epidemiological study with longer follow-up In this manuscript, we describe the development of a prospective, population-based cohort of COVID-19 positive participants and uninfected population-based participants designed to [1] determine the contribution of putative risk factors and extant comorbidities to COVID-19 disease severity, [2] identify chronic health conditions that arise following COVID-19 disease, [3] and examine the relationship between disease severity and chronic health outcomes. A population-based prospective cohort of patients with and without COVID-19 diagnosis is an ideal study design to collectively investigate the COVID-19 disease course including risk factors, disease progression, resolution, and chronic outcomes of infection
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