COVID-19 Research
10KFS researchers providing expertise!
Key members of the 10,000 Families Study's team of researchers were ready to respond and lend their expertise to COVID-19 research when the pandemic hit in early 2020. Here are the stories of two of them!
Our first expert - Bharat Thyagarajan, PhD, MPH, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at the University of Minnesota (U of M) Medical School. He holds the Bittner Endowed Chair in Cancer Research and heads the Division of Molecular Pathology. Over the last 15 years, he has focused on identifying biological markers that make people more susceptible to chronic diseases such as pulmonary disease, cardiovascular disease, dementia and cancer. For the 10,000 Families Study, Dr Thyagarajan directs the collection and management of biological samples and other measurements through the family health visits.
What is Dr Thyagarajan’s research on COVID-19?
Dr. Thyagarajan teamed-up with other U of M scientists to develop and implement a very sensitive and specific antibody test for SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19). Dr. Thyagarajan also oversees large-scale viral testing for SARS-CoV-2 at the University of Minnesota's Advanced Research and Diagnostic Laboratory (ARDL). ARDL was selected as one of two laboratories to support Minnesota’s statewide testing effort. So far, ARDL has performed approximately 500,000 SARS-CoV-2 virus tests and 17,000 SARS-CoV-2 antibody tests! On the national level, Dr Thyagarajan is part of an effort to understand how widespread previous infection is, using samples and information from 11,000 elderly research participants who have since recovered.
We asked Dr Thyagarajan:
- What drew you to COVID-19 research?
Because of my expertise, I was asked to develop tests to help early in the pandemic. I started collaborating with other researchers at the University to see if we could use patient samples and other known techniques to answer questions; it kind of grew organically. I initially got involved with the COVID-19 antibody testing group, and we submitted that test to FDA after it was developed, and then I got pulled into viral testing, so I have my foot in both worlds.
- Could you explain the difference between viral testing and antibody testing and why to get either one?
Viral testing is done if you want to know whether you are infected now. To prevent spread of COVID-19, it’s the viral testing that’s important--because it’s when you can transmit the virus to other people, and from day 1 it can be detected. An antibody test is usually done to figure-out if you’ve ever had a COVID-19 infection--either a while ago or that you’ve just recently recovered from (10-14 days after infection). For most people there is not much reason to get an antibody test, though some people choose to so they can contribute convalescent plasma for others’ recovery. Antibody testing is available in almost every health system; you can go to your clinic and ask for an antibody test, or you can order them from companies on the internet.
- What are the questions you’re trying to answer in your COVID-19 research?
If you have recovered from COVID-19 infection and have antibodies, you have some immunity from future infection. But there’s a lot we don’t yet know: How long-lasting is the antibody response: does it fade away in 3 months, 6 months, or more, and then can you get reinfected? What are the long-term health effects of COVID-19? Why do some people keep making antibodies for a long time and others start to drop-off? How different is antibody response in groups that are immunocompromised, such as HIV+, cancer survivors, people with autoimmune diseases, and the elderly? The challenges are to attract enough volunteers who are willing to donate blood samples repeatedly over ~ 2 years so we can get an idea of how many people have ever been infected and then can start to answer these questions.
- How can 10KFS contribute to COVID-19 research?
10KFS’ family-based study design gives us the opportunity to look at the impact of living in the same household or being part of the same family. We usually assume everyone in the household will be infected, but it doesn’t always happen that way. What makes the difference in who in the family or household gets infected, their symptoms, and long-term health impact: is it genetics? family dynamics and interaction? socioeconomic status? the type of residence you live in?
- As we all know, COVID-19 infection rates, hospitalizations, and deaths have exploded in MN and neighboring states this Fall. What gives you hope at this time?
Vaccine development and emergency use authorization by the FDA (Food & Drug Administration) have made great strides. Now that people are beginning to get vaccinated, this pandemic will start to turn-around. Everyone is very frustrated by now, but the worst is probably behind us, and 2021 will be a better year!
- And what are your words of wisdom for MN families when it comes to COVID-19 and weathering this time?
What families can do is follow Public Health guidance: limit social interactions, wear masks, with the knowledge that even though it is a sacrifice, there is now an end in sight.
Now from testing to treatment for people with COVID-19...
Our second expert - Cavan Reilly, PhD, is a Professor in the Division of Biostatistics at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. He is Associate Director of the Coordinating Centers for Biometric Research, which manages a wide variety of public health research studies in the United States and internationally. Dr Reilly’s expertise is in design, implementation, and analysis of infectious disease research. For the 10,000 Families Study, Dr Reilly directs data collection and management.
What is Dr Reilly’s research on COVID-19?
Dr Reilly is directing data management for a study of COVID-19 in Liberia, Africa. The study is enrolling individuals who test positive for the virus and contacts who test negative and then will follow both groups’ health for up to 3 years. He also is the main statistician for a study that is enrolling individuals across the globe who test positive but are not hospitalized at the time of their test. The goal is to determine frequency of hospitalization and death and risk factors by following them for 28 days. He also is a statistician for the ACTIV-3 component of Operation Warpspeed, which is a US government effort to quickly develop ways to treat individuals who have been hospitalized for COVID-19.
We asked Dr Reilly:
- What drew you to COVID-19 research?
My primary focus for the last 20 years is infectious disease research. I started out with HIV, then about 5 years ago moved into Ebola (a reemerging infectious disease), and now emerging infectious diseases are my specialty area. Once COVID-19 started, how could I not get involved?
- Your 3 COVID-19 research projects are all happening in different places: one in Liberia in Africa, one in many sites across multiple continents, and one in the US. Why is it important to have studies on different continents?
It is important to understand variations in local experience, populations, and places that might impact the course of the illness. Different countries have different COVID-19 quarantining restrictions at different times, different healthcare and public health systems, and different living conditions. For example, Sub-saharan Africa above S. Africa does not have a lot of testing capabilities, so it’s hard to know who is infected. Based on its experience with Ebola--which is always very serious--the country of Liberia put in place a national quarantine policy that requires anyone who tests positive for SARS-CoV-2 (even if they have no or only mild symptoms) to stay for 2 weeks in a military hospital, which may have regular power outages and takes them away from their families. Since that is not very appealing, Liberians may decide not to get tested, and that has a big impact on what works for controlling COVID-19 spread, treatment, and patient outcomes. So you can see that what works is not one-size-fits-all: just because the illness or a medicine works one way in one country does not mean it will work that way in another country or another continent.
- What have been the key challenges of your COVID-19 research so far?
The study of COVID-19 around the world is difficult because we’re trying to recruit and follow mostly healthy people who’ve tested positive but aren’t hospitalized and don’t have follow-up built-in (unlike people with HIV), so the next week when they’re better, they don’t return your calls. We’ve also faced challenges in different countries with logistics across international boundaries, especially with shipping supplies into other countries: customs authorities open-up the boxes and if something doesn’t match-up perfectly between the paperwork and the contents, they won’t let it in. Another challenge with studies testing treatments for COVID-19 is that they are competing with each other for participants, since there are a lot of studies right now!
- How can 10KFS contribute to COVID-19 research?
The community focus of the 10,000 Families Study--widespread recruitment efforts and broad eligibility--could make 10KFS fit into new studies to learn about rates of antibodies (remember antibodies from Dr Thyagarajan above?), to COVID-19 in the general population. We are far from “herd immunity” now--but how fast is this changing?
- As we all know, COVID-19 infection rates, hospitalizations, and deaths have exploded in MN and neighboring states this Fall. What gives you hope at this time?
Like most people, I’m hopeful for distribution of not only safe and effective vaccines but also treatments or a cure for those already infected. I’ve never seen a health challenge galvanize the health research community like COVID-19; even people who don’t usually research infectious diseases have taken up the mantle and gotten involved. It is great to see the interest and the way the US government’s National Institutes of Health has tried to coordinate efforts by different researchers so we avoid wasting resources or duplicating efforts.
For more information about University of Minnesota COVID-19 research: COVID-19 Research at the University of Minnesota
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More about the author:
Andrea Hickle - 10,000 Families Study Coordinator
