NIH study looking for volunteers to donate blood samples

BETHESDA, Maryland– The National Institutes of Health are looking at how many people across the U.S. have antibodies to COVID-19.

A new study has been opened for participants across the country so scientists can analyze blood samples for the presence of antibodies. Researchers with NIH say by discovering antibodies in someone it indicates that person may have had a prior infection.

The results will also help scientists understand to what extent the novel coronavirus has been in the U.S. undetected.

“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 Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., NIAID director. “These crucial data will help us measure the impact of our public health efforts now and guide our COVID-19 response moving forward.”

NIH is looking to collect a sample of some 10,000 people. Anyone healthy and over the age of 18 can participate.

By consenting to enroll, you’ll receive an at-home blood sampling kit to send back for testing. Researchers say with just a small finger-prick, volunteers will be helping fight COVID-19 from their homes.

If you’re interested in enrolling in the study, you’re asked to email [email protected].

The study will be conducted by researchers at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), with additional support from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI), all parts of NIH.

For more information on the COVID-19 Pandemic Serum Sampling Study Launch, see the Questions and Answers. For more information on this study, please visit ClinicalTrials.gov using identifier NCT04334954. For more information on the U.S. government response to the COVID-19 pandemic, visit www.coronavirus.gov(link is external).