COVID-19 Antibody Testing Among Get Well Loop Participants

Due to the extremely limited supply of testing kits and the highly infectious nature of COVID-19, medical providers are diagnosing the virus virtually and through symptoms alone. MHealth Fairview has implemented a virtual platform called Get Well Loop (GWL) to remotely monitor patients diagnosed with presumptive COVID-19 over a 14-day period. Patients enrolled in GWL receive once daily electronic surveys asking them to report their symptoms and their temperature.

Led by Pita Adam, MD, MSPH, vice chair for clinical affairs, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, this study builds upon current research that is utilizing the electronic health record Epic and GWL database to prospectively monitor presumptive COVID-19 patients and compare outcomes between GWL patients and those who did not enroll.

“By conducting post-illness antibody testing with the GWL sample, we can clearly define the subgroup who had COVID-19 and better define the symptom complex and natural course of COVID-19 as well as explore risk factors for severe outcomes,” said Adam.

This project is supported by the UMN Campus Public Health Officer's CO:VID (Collaborative Outcomes: Visionary Innovation & Discovery) grants program, which support University of Minnesota faculty to catalyze and energize small-scale research projects designed to address and mitigate the COVID-19 virus and its associated risks.