University of Rochester Medical Center to perform COVID-19 reinfection research
Written by Site Hub on April 26, 2020
On Friday, April 17, the University of Rochester Medical Center announced its plans to follow-up with people who had been previously infected with SARS-CoV-2 to check for reinfection. The focus of the research is to specifically understand the spread of the virus and determine the length of time, if possible, that a person might be safe from reinfection so that officials can try to determine how and when to re-open society.
The director of the New York Influenza Center of Excellence, Dr. David Topham, explained that the study can potentially help officials learn the length of time it might take for a community’s members to build immunity. URMC infectious disease specialist, Dr. Angela Branch stated that it might also help with understanding the scope of asymptomatic infection. Additionally, results might help with vaccine development.
URMC is conducting the research with financial support from the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases via a donation of $5 million. Researchers from URMC will remain in contact with approximately 100 patients for at least several months to better understand reinfection possibilities. Rochester and other residents who have tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 are invited to participate. Anyone who is interested can find out more information by calling (585) 273-3990.
