COVID-19 study of hundreds of Cabarrus County residents underway

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. — Researchers with Duke University will be following a group of Cabarrus County residents made up all ages and races.

And now, the testing phase is underway for the 300 people they selected.

Concord resident Aimy Steele signed up for the Duke University study after filling out a survey from researchers.

They’re trying to detect the virus in participants and gain a better understanding of exactly who’s catching it -- and more importantly how to protect them.

“My hope is that the research will help us make better decisions about how we move forward. And, about how’ll be prepared the next time in case something like this happens again,” Steele said.

Those who test negative, will be tested again every two weeks. Doctors will monitor blood samples for antibodies to find if they’ve possibly had the virus.

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The goal is to find a link between people showing symptoms and those who don’t, especially in the Black and LatinX communities.

“We’ll earn a lot more about that. And, how it progresses and changes over time. We’ll look at it over the racial and ethnic factors and age and many of the other variables,’ said Doctor Kristin Newby, a health researcher at Duke University.

Steele said she’s happy to help and is looking forward to the process.

“As a whole, we need to take it more seriously,” she said.

The study is expected to last from 9 months to a year.

The information will be shared with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.

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Cox Media Group