At least 600,000 invitations will be sent to households in seven California counties to participate in a study aimed to determine the percentage of residents who carry antibodies against COVID-19 and whether they were acquired through infection or vaccination.
The California Department of Public health engaged in the study to collect random samples from households in Alameda, Monterey, El Dorado, Kern, Los Angeles, San Diego, and Shasta. The study aims to develop it’s COVID-19 database surrounding the amount of antibodies Californians carry against the virus and whether these antibodies were acquired by infection or vaccination.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention granted CalScope $5 million to test the blood of at least 30,000 California households for antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. These samples will be collected through pinpricks done at home instead of blood draws and clinics and hospitals. Enable Biosciences processes the blood samples and forwards the data to the Department of Public Health.
The study also aims to locate which parts of the state have been most affected by the spread of COVID-19. The state is collaborating with Enable Biosciences, Gauss Surgical, Stanford University School of Medicine and seven county public health departments for this study.
It is said this study will not be affected by the emergence of the Omicron variant, according to DPH. The study will be done in three phases to allow scientists to observe how antibody prevalence changes over time, and offer snapshots of those who have been vaccinated, infected, or both.
With the second phase underway, the state plans to bring the study's third phase in the spring. An algorithm is set in place to select households of diverse demographics, occupations and COVID-19 safety practices
Postcards will be sent to selected households that instruct how to conduct the study and fill out a 20-minute survey online. The DPH will follow up by sending a test kit for up to one adult and one child per household. The study will produce one of the world’s most accurate snapshots of immunity to the virus in a large and diverse population according to state health officials and researchers.
Those participating in the study will learn if they have antibodies against the coronavirus three to four weeks after sending in their test kits, and earn a total of $40 gift cards for joining the study.
