How long has COVID-19 really been among us? New study aims to find out

As part of a new study to determine how long COVID-19 has been circulating in the United States, the National Institutes of Health is soliciting 10,000 volunteers who suspect they might have suffered through an undiagnosed case of the novel coronavirus. (Image via Shutterstock)

By STHS Communication Department                

The first confirmed U.S. case of the COVID-19 coronavirus was logged on Jan. 19. The first confirmed Louisiana case followed on March 9. But how long was the novel coronavirus circulating quietly among us before that?

The National Institutes of Health has launched a study in an effort to find out, and it’s recruiting the help of people who suspect they might have suffered through an earlier undiagnosed case of COVID-19.

“A new study has begun recruiting at the National Institutes of Health … to determine how many adults in the United States without a confirmed history of infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), have antibodies to the virus,” according to an NIH news release.

The presence of antibodies in the blood indicates a prior infection.

As part of the study, researchers will collect and analyze blood samples from as many as 10,000 volunteers from all over the country to provide critical data for epidemiological models. The results “will help illuminate the extent to which the novel coronavirus has spread undetected in the United States and provide insights into which communities and populations are most affected,” the release said.

Healthy volunteers over 18 years of age from all over the United States who suspect they might have had COVID-19 are invited to participate. They can do so by sending an email to clinicalstudiesunit@nih.gov. Those who have had confirmed cases of COVID-19 are ineligible.

Upon enrollment, participants will attend a virtual clinic visit, complete a health assessment questionnaire and provide basic demographic information — including race, ethnicity, sex, age and occupation — before submitting via mail a microsample of blood collected through use of an at-home blood collection kit. The kit will be provided by the study.

“This study will give us a clearer picture of the true magnitude of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States by telling us how many people in different communities have been infected without knowing it, because they had a very mild, undocumented illness or did not access testing while they were sick,” said Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. “These crucial data will help us measure the impact of our public health efforts now and guide our COVID-19 response moving forward.”