Hello, we are really sorry that you are now stuck in quarantine. Would you like to participate in an important COVID study while you are here? This study could help to reduce the number of infections at GW and could make the quarantine shorter and more bearable for students coming back in January.
If you would like to help us, we would come and visit you twice per day and take air samples of your room. We will measure the amount of COVID RNA collected and use those data to design better ventilation and room use strategies for GW students.
Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this research is to measure how much COVID is present in the air for each day of the quarantine. While we do not know how much virus is present during each day of the quarantine, we know that the participant's viral levels will increase and then decrease, depending upon how long after exposure the quarantine is started.
Activities during the Study
Participants will go through the normal life in quarantine, but twice per day, a researcher will come to their room with a small instrument that looks like a hand-held vacuum cleaner and will sample the air in the room for 20 - 40 minutes. The first visit will be 10-15 where the researcher selects a spot with you to place the air collection device. After that the device can be dropped off and picked up 40 minutes later. We will be happy to spend some time with you during any of the visits to discuss questions you have. Other than that, we will respect your space and privacy by not being present in your room.
Who may qualify for the study?
We seek individuals who
- Are 18-40 years of age
- Have tested positive for the COVID virus and been placed in quarantine.
COMPENSATION
If you are selected to carry out training as part of the study, you will receive a $30 visa gift card for taking part in this study and for your time and effort as a participant. The researcher will bring the gift card on the first visit.
Risks and Confidentiality
Your participation in this study involves minimal risk.
There is a small chance that someone not on our research team could find out that you took part in the study, or somehow connect your name with the information we collect about you. The following steps are being taken to reduce this risk: Your identity will only be known to the Office of Campus Residence Life (CLRE) and the GW Health Lab (where the nasal swabs are processed). The researcher who enters your your room will not know know your name or any identifying information besides your room number. All personal information known by the public health lab will treated with the same confidentiality as medical records. After all of the results are published, any identifying data linking your name to the reported measurements will be destroyed.
The records of this study will be kept private. In any published articles or presentations, we will not include any information that will make it possible to identify you as a participant. However, please note that your records for the study may be reviewed by departments of the University that are responsible for overseeing research safety and compliance.
BENEFITS
Participation in this study will produce real benefits to science. Specifically, your participation will allow the researchers to gain knowledge about how COVID is spread through the air during various stages in the disease progression. Using this knowledge, we will be able to create spaces with lower infection risk. For infected participants, the knowledge gained will allow us to customize the quarantine time and experience to make it more pleasant, effective, and possibly shorter.
Click here to participate in the study
Click to Preview Consent Form
If you have questions about the study, please fill out the web form.