Epidemiology
Coronavirus Antibody Test Production
The School of Public Health and the Life Sciences Institute are advancing a new antibody test to identify people who have been infected with the novel Coronavirus that causes the COVID-19 disease. The test, being validated now, could accelerate selection of patient plasma for use in treating new COVID-19 infections.
Discovering Compounds to Treat & Prevent SARS-COV-2
The long-range goal of this work is to advance computer-based approaches for drug discovery to eventually eliminate the need for animal studies. Our immediate goal is to discover compounds to treat or prevent infection by SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 disease.
DIVINCI: Extension to SARS-CoV-2
The Dissection of Influenza Vaccination and Infection for Childhood Immunity (DIVINCI) research consortium, led by St. Jude and University of Michigan, helps us learn how the immune system protects the body against future influenza exposure.
Framework for Monitoring COVID-19 Public Health Indicators
Given the systemic spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the threat of COVID-19 in our communities is likely to persist for a long time. As public health and medical professionals work to prevent and treat COVID-19, we must also build new systems to allow policy makers and the public to monitor the movement and changes in the epidemic.
Household Influenza Cohort Study
This cohort study of 433 families in Managua, Nicaragua studies the burden and transmission of influenza and other respiratory viruses. The cohort consists of over 2200 people aged 0 to 94. The study was extended to examine SARS-CoV-2 natural history and household transmission starting in February of 2020.
Household Influenza Vaccine Evaluation (HIVE) Study: COVID-19 Response
The HIVE cohort is a longitudinal cohort of over 300 households with children in southeastern Michigan with year-round active surveillance of respiratory infections of any severity. This CDC- and NIH-funded cohort, running since 2010, will be testing study specimens to evaluate the incidence of COVID-19 and transmission within the household setting, especially among people with mild illnesses that may not seek medical care. This team will be performing research using only RT-PCR and serology testing for influenza, COVID-19, and other respiratory viruses.
Immunity-associated with SARS-CoV-2
This 5000 person cohort study examines natural and vaccine-induced immunity to SARS-CoV-2. It aims to answer critical questions about the durability of the immune response as well as repeat infections.
Methods to Estimate the Impact of Vaccination
Researchers will develop improved and widely applicable methods to estimate the impact of vaccination on reducing severe long-term outcomes among adults hospitalized for influenza and/or COVID-19.
Michigan COVID-19 Recovery Surveillance Study
The Michigan COVID-19 Recovery Surveillance Study (MICReSS) is a collaborative effort between the University of Michigan School of Public Health and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. MI-CReSS seeks to understand the experiences of adults in Michigan with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19. Information from the study will be used to improve understanding of the disease and inform future response efforts to address COVID-19 in Michigan.
Michigan-Ford Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness (MFIVE) Study
This CDC-funded study works in partnership with other national sites to conduct active surveillance of individuals with medically-attended acute respiratory illness (active since 2010). The University of Michigan team works with 12 ambulatory clinics across southeast Michigan to collect data on viral illnesses. Along with the CDC, this team will be collecting self-swabs and clinical data to evaluate the epidemiology, clinical characteristics, and risk factors for COVID-19 across the US.
Nicaraguan Pediatric Influenza Cohort Study
This cohort study of ~1,800 Nicaraguan children designed to examine the burden of influenza in children and development of immunity. Children are enrolled at birth and followed to age 15. In 2020, the 10th year of the study, the cohort was expanded to investigate SARS-CoV-2 natural history and immunity. Because the cohort was started in 2011 and SARS-CoV-2 testing was established in February 2020, the cohort is uniquely situated to examine immunity to SARS-CoV-2 and endemic human coronaviruses.
RAPID: Changes in risk perceptions and COVID-19
The rapid spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) throughout the world at the beginning of 2020 is a testament to the need for sustained global responses to emerging infectious diseases. In response to COVID-19, governments worldwide have instituted a variety of countermeasures and encouraged citizens to practice certain hygienic behaviors. At the same time, more needs to be learned about how people throughout the world respond to government actions during an infectious disease outbreak.
US Hospitalized Adult Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness Network (HAIVEN)
This CDC-funded study conducts active surveillance for acute viral respiratory illness among adults hospitalized across four study centers in the US (active since 2015). The University of Michigan team works in conjunction with the CDC to conduct this study in three hospitals in southeast Michigan. For the COVID-19 pandemic, this team will be collecting in-depth data on the clinical course and outcomes of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 for national-level analyses led by CDC.
The Michigan Farmworker Project
The Michigan Farmworker Project conducted by Michigan Public Health researchers found that farmworkers (migrant, seasonal, and H-2A)—considered "essential workers" - face challenging working and living conditions that are critical to address during the COVID-19 pandemic. Efforts to limit COVID-19 risks in this population require an evidence-based, multifactorial approach that involves workers, employees, and stake-holders. In a policy brief, the researchers recommend that enforcement actions be taken to ensure compliance with COVID-19 protection and mitigation guidelines instead of reliance on self-compliance.