Observational Studies and COVID-19

January 7, 2021
Observational studies and COVID-19, clinical research studies

Clinical research studies can be broken down into two categories. Interventional and Observational studies. Interventional studies are where a medication or device intervenes to prevent or treat a disease. Observational studies typically do not involve an intervention, although on occasion they may involve interventions that are a part of routine care, rather than assigned by the investigator. In a world fighting back against COVID-19, observational studies are being done to see if just a few drops of blood from a finger stick can be used to detect if an individual has antibodies to COVID-19, potentially making testing more available and safer during the pandemic.

Observational Studies

Observational studies are where researchers observe the effect of a risk factor, diagnostic test, treatment, or other intervention. Two common types are cohort and case control. A cohort is any group of people linked in some way, such as an age group, for example. Case-control studies identify people with a pre-existing health problem (cases) and a similar group without the problem (controls) and then compare them.

COVID virus cell, clinical research

For COVID-19, observational studies help us learn more about the virus. In turn, this information is used to find better ways to detect, treat, and prevent COVID. Observational studies are a benefit not just to individuals affected by these conditions but also to society.

Finger Stick and COVID-19

Testing for the virus seems to have come full circle, from long lines at a few places to drive through sites and emailed results. While we’ve come a long way, there is still a need to diagnose COVID-19 quicker and safer. Finger stick testing is a blood test done by pricking your finger and collecting a few drops of blood. It is similar to what people with diabetes use to test their blood sugar levels.

We're still battling COVID-19

Finger stick testing is also being evaluated to determine if an individual has COVID-19 antibodies as an observational study. ActivMed Practices & Research has joined the fight against COVID-19 and has participated in an observational study and a vaccine study for this virus. To learn more about how you can get involved, contact us for more information at (603) 319-8863, or visit our enrolling studies page.

References:

https://www.iwh.on.ca/what-researchers-mean-by/observational-vs-experimental-studies

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