I do not think I have had COVID-19 or I have no symptoms, does this study apply to me?

You do not need to have been exposed or have symptoms of COVID-19 to participate in the study. Any information you provide in the daily surveys can help us answer some key questions about the spread of COVID-19 in our community.

Do I have to participate?

Participation in the study is voluntary. If you decide not to participate this will not affect your standard of care or treatment at your local health care system. Reach out to your local health care system or the National Call center for the study to discuss any questions about your participation.

How long does this study last?

Participation in this study will last up to a year.

What if I want to complete the daily survey, but I do not want to complete the in-home testing?

When you first enroll in the study, you are asked on your consent form if you want to:

•   Complete the daily survey only, or
•   Complete the daily survey + agree to be in the in-home antibody testing if chosen. Only a sample of participants will be chosen for in home testing.

What if I want to do the in-home testing, but I do not want to complete the daily survey?

Participants must take part in the daily survey to be eligible for in-home testing.

Do I have to stay in the study the whole year?

Initially, you will receive the survey every day. You are able to update your participation in the study at any time through Oracle, where you complete your daily survey.

Can I join a vaccine study and still participate in this survey study?

We encourage you to reach out to the study coordinator(s) of your vaccine study to ask about whether they recommend you participate in this study.

How much does this cost me?

There are no costs for participating in the study.

Do I get paid to do this study?

There are no payments or other compensation for taking part in this study.

If you have difficulty enrolling into the study, contact the call center at: 855-559-1861 or email info@covid19communitystudy.org

How do I find out what operating system my cell phone uses?

Some participants may be asked about the operating system of their apple or android device. Here is how to find out which operating systems your device has:

•   https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201685 [support.apple.com]
•   https://support.google.com/android/answer/7680439?hl=en [support.google.com]

How often do I need to complete these daily surveys?

You will receive the daily survey every day. The study will evaluate the frequency of the surveys throughout the course of COVID-19.

• It takes approximately 1 minute per day to respond to these survey questions.

If I miss one, what happens?

Unfortunately, there is no way to go back and complete any missed surveys.

Resume reporting symptoms when you receive the next day’s survey. The information you provide is very important and can help answer some key questions about COVID-19’s spread in our community. Please do your best to complete the surveys every day.

My survey link is expired. What do I do?

There are two messages you receive from Oracle:

•   Invitation to get started in Oracle and set up your account:
• This link expires in 36 hours. If you miss the window to get started or you are having issues validating your information, call 855-559-1861 or email info@covid19communitystudy.org to have the link resent.
•   The daily survey email:
• This link expires in 24 hours. You receive the daily survey every day. If your link is expired, please wait for the next survey link to be sent to you. If you still cannot find it, check your spam or junk folder. Call 855-559-1861 or email info@covid19communitystudy.org for more help.

I have not received an email to start the daily surveys or I have completed the daily surveys, but I cannot find the email reminder today. What happened?

Please check your spam or junk folder. . If you haven’t received an email to start the daily surveys, it is possible there is an issue with your enrollment. If you have checked your spam folder and still have not found an email, please call 855-559-1861 or email info@covid19communitystudy.org for more help.

How should mask wearing be reported when a mask is worn in some situations but not others?

If you have any situations where you are unmasked in the close presence of those outside the home, you should report “did not wear a mask”

Should study antibody test results be reported as a new test result in the symptom survey?

Yes. There is a follow up question to indicate if this is an antibody test or a test for acute COVID infection.

When should you report an exposure to COVID?

The daily questionnaire asks about this, along with details of the exposure. You should report it on the next daily survey you complete after becoming aware of the exposure.

*Disclaimer: Information and guidance around COVID-19 is rapidly changing, so please also refer to the CDC and State recommendations.

A survey question asks if I have shortness of breath. I have a chronic lung disease and shortness of breath regularly. How do I answer?

This question is referring to your health regarding COVID symptoms. It is not particularly taking your medical history into account. It is looking at current symptoms outside of your "normal". When rating your health, we ask that you consider your health aside from any historical conditions (i.e. kidney failure, heart failure, allergies) and rate your health regarding possible COVID symptoms.

What is the definition of a facemask or face covering?

A facemask is anything that covers your nose and mouth and worn to prevent exposure to protect yourself and others from possible exposure to COVID-19 in a public setting.

A survey question about wearing facemasks allows me to choose “No Interactions”. What is “No Interactions”?

“No Interactions” includes contact with others in your household or people passing at a safe distance. Any exchange outside of this context is considered an “interaction”.

I have symptoms or health problems that the daily surveys do not ask. How do I let you know about these symptoms?

Survey questions were developed based on CDC guidance documents. The survey is being collected for research purposes. We are happy to answer any questions you may have about this study. If you have specific clinical questions, we advise you to address them with your primary care physician.

How do I sign up for antibody testing?

When you first enroll in the study, you are asked on your consent form if you want to:

•   Complete the daily survey only, or
•   Complete the daily survey + agree to be in the in-home antibody testing if chosen.

Not all participants who sign up for in home antibody testing are selected for testing. If you are not selected for antibody testing at first, there is a chance you may be selected later on.

If I am chosen for in home antibody testing, what do I need to do and when will I get my results?

If selected, you will be notified by email that your in-home test kit is on its way.

If selected, the antibody testing will be completed no more than once a month and no more than 6 times in the study year.

You will receive an email when your test result is available. The email will instruct you how to get the result.

The antibody test is for research purposes only and no medical decisions should be made based on test results. If you have any symptoms or concerns about results, please contact your doctor. If you are having emergency symptoms, such as difficulty breathing, please go to the emergency department or call 911.

My address has changed, how do I update it for my next test kit?

Contact the call center at: 855-559-1861 or emailinfo@covid19communitystudy.org to update your address

Why was I not selected for the In Home Antibody Test?

Thank you for agreeing to participate in the COVID-19 Community Research Partnership! We understand about your disappointment not being selected for in home testing. You are still very important to this research. This research combines two important components:

Syndromic Surveillance:
The largest part of the study is “syndromic surveillance.” In this part, we ask thousands of volunteers to complete the daily health surveys. We are able to use this information to identify areas where people are reporting more symptoms, which could mean more COVID-19 transmission is taking place. Survey information will be shared with public health authorities and made visible on the study’s website.

In-Home Antibody Testing:
The second part of the study involves sending out kits to test for COVID-19 antibodies in the blood. These tests are sent to select study participants so we can get a broad representation across our communities. Those participants are selected based on characteristics such as their home county, gender, age, profession, race, etc. This part of the study helps us identify how many people may be infected.

Can I purchase this test kit from a pharmacy?

This test kit is not commercially available. We hope the results from this study will support production of this kit for commercial use.

I received my test results and it states I have antibodies. Do I need to do anything? Do I need to stay isolated? Do I need to report the result to the health department or to my employer?

A positive antibody test likely means you have been previously infected with COVID-19. This is a research study designed to answer many questions about COVID-19 and it should not be used for any clinical decisions.

You should continue to follow the guidance of CDC, state, and local health officials to protect yourself and your family.

You do not need to share the result with anyone else, including your employer. The result will not be entered into your medical record and your privacy will be maintained.

Will I test positive if I get the vaccine?

How do I complete the Scanwell in home antibody test kit?

Refer to your Scanwell test kit written instructions and scan your QR code with your phone to open the instructional video.

I received the kit and attempted to upload my test results, however, it timed out on me. No matter the angle I had my camera and/or card it continued to give me errors. What should I do?

Next time you test, try the following:

     1. Make sure you place the test cassette on the Scanwell card before scanning.

     2. Be in a well-lit room with no strong shadows on the card.

     3. Make sure all four corners of the card are visible on the screen. The app will only take a picture when it detects the full card.

     4. Moving your phone closer or farther from the card if it is not scanning can help trigger the autofocus functionality on the camera, which can help the app detect the card.

How do I switch from Labcorp to Scanwell test kits?

Feedback on going on vacation while vaccinated, masking and flying in planes.

We all need a vacation! We recommend limiting travel to places where YOU feel comfortable and avoiding areas with high rates of the virus. We strongly support following CDC current and local public health guidelines and wearing masks while on planes and in crowded areas to further help reduce transmission.

Feedback on attending mass events outdoor (football, baseball etc)

Being vaccinated is 100% the best thing you can do for prevention. After that, we recommend following current CDC and public health guidelines. Wearing a mask at crowded indoor events will reduce risk. Outdoor events are lower risk, but any extra precautions (such as wearing a mask while in lines and avoiding surge times) could be helpful.

Recommendations for masking at school, including children under 12 who are not yet vaccinated.

This is a tough one! We know kids need to be with others and back to school in person. While local guidelines vary, wearing a mask while indoors decreases the risk of infection and transmission and could be an important factor in preventing outbreaks and keeping schools open for in-person instruction.

Feedback on attending mass events outdoor (football, baseball etc)

Being vaccinated is 100% the best thing you can do for prevention. After that, we recommend following current CDC and public health guidelines. Wearing a mask at crowded indoor events will reduce risk. Outdoor events are lower risk, but any extra precautions (such as wearing a mask while in lines and avoiding surge times) could be helpful.

Where can I go to get my booster?

More information on eligibility for this vaccine will be shared by the CDC at a later time.

If I get the booster shot, how will my antibodies levels change and how quickly?

Our study does not measure levels of antibodies. It was designed to determine the presence or absence of antibodies. We appreciate your continued participation in the serology study, as we continue to learn.

Where in the daily survey can I record my 3rd shot?

We are still working on this and would communicate it as soon as it is included in the daily survey.

Can you take more than one vaccine if your antibody test is showing negative?

There is no recommendation for further vaccination or a vaccine booster in the setting of negative antibodies. Until more information is known, no further vaccine is recommended (remember that antibody presence is only one indicator of immunity).