UK College of Medicine, UK HealthCare Launch New START Trial to Assess COVID-19 Prevalence

The University of Kentucky College of Medicine and UK HealthCare have launched a new clinical trial designed to assess the prevalence of COVID-19 in central and eastern Kentucky. Known as Serologic Testing to Accelerate Recovery and Transition (START), the study focuses on antibody testing to begin understanding how many people in the region may have already contracted and recovered from COVID-19. The trial is a partnership between the UK College of Medicine, UK HealthCare Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC), the UK Markey Cancer Center, and University Health Service, and is co-led by IPAC Medical Director Dr. Derek Forster and Precision Medicine Clinic Director Jill Kolesar, Pharm.D.

“One of my big interests in this study is understanding how much COVID-19 is out there, and to better understand what the risk factors are for coming into contact with this disease. We’ll be collecting a variety of data points to try to assess that in our community.”

The test for an active COVID-19 infection is the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) diagnostic test, which involves a nasal or oral swab. The UK study will be focusing on an antibody blood test, which can identify who has had COVID-19 in the past. Phase one of the study will focus on performing the antibody test on the highest-risk population at UK HealthCare, health care workers who are part of higher-risk areas of the hospital including the medical intensive care unit, emergency department, Division of Infectious Diseases, and UK HealthCare’s COVID-19 drive-thru testing site.

Read the full story from University of Kentucky here.