ROANOKE, Va. – Participants are needed for a new study to better understand COVID-19′s impact in Southwest Virginia.
The Virginia Department of Health has awarded Carilion Clinic $566,309 in CARES Act funding for the seroprevalence research.
It will measure antibodies from people living in 22 localities to track who’s been infected and identify high-risk activities. That will help health experts know where to concentrate messaging and resources.
“It will also help inform how we roll out vaccines in this area in the best way. We will offer it to everyone in the region but as we roll it out, there will be areas of priority for distribution,” said Dr. Paul Skolnik, chair of medicine at Carilion.
This is the first study of its kind dedicated to Southwest Virginia.
The goal is to test 5,250 people by the end of the year.
If you’d like to participate, click here.