Your involvement in this study would include:
A) The completion of an online-questionnaire;
B) Provision of blood samples, once at the beginning and once at the end of the study;
C) Completing of a social contact diary;
D) Short monthly surveys to monitor exposure to or acquisition of COVID-19, and;
E) Permission to contact you to provide additional consenting related to contract tracing data.
There are no direct benefits to you as a participant. Study results will help devise possible strategies where the presence of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in HCW can be used as a factor to reorganize care in LTCs that contributes to reduce the risk of subsequent COVID-19 outbreaks. You will not be paid for taking part in this study. Participation is voluntary. You don’t have to answer any questions you don’t want to. You can stop participating at any time without impact in your employment.
Your confidentiality will be protected, to the extent permitted by applicable laws. The data that you provide will be anonymized, encrypted, password protected and stored in a Queen’s University server for up to five years, and the blood samples will be kept in KHSC laboratories designated by the study investigators for up to two years. The code file that links real names with the study ID numbers will be stored securely and separately from the data on an encrypted USB key.
This study has been reviewed for ethical compliance by the Queen’s University Health Sciences and Affiliated Teaching Hospitals Research Ethics Board.
If you have any issues or questions about using the questionnaire, please contact the study coordinator.
Are you interested in participating?
If you would like to participate in the SCORE research study, simply use the button below to complete the "Information Questionnaire" to notify the Study Coordinator of your interest.
Information QuestionnaireWhat types of questions will we ask?
We will be asking questions that relate to your household dynamic and your exposure to COVID-19 at home as well as in the workplace. We are also interested in how you and your employer ensure your protection against COVID-19 in different settings. Follow the link below for a screen shot of sample questions.
Example QuestionsInformed consent is important!
Having an informed consent from you is important. We want to ensure that you fully understand the study that you are participating in. You can read the informed consent form by clicking the link below prior to making your decision to participate.
Consent FormConcerned if you have COVID-19?
Use the following link to access the COVID-19 Self-Assessment tool from the Ontario Government.
Self-Assessment