The COVID-19 Arapahoe SErosurveillance Study (CASES) project aims to measure exposure to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the disease called COVID-19, in Arapahoe County. The CASES project was split into two phases. The first round of Phase 1, where we tested Arapahoe County first responders (firefighters, emergency personnel, police officers etc.) for history of SARS-CoV-2 infection through blood tests to measure antibodies to the virus, was completed in August 2020. During phase 2, which ended October 2020, we expanded our testing to the Arapahoe County general community members.
The CASES Project is supported by Arapahoe County Office of Emergency Management, in consultation with the Tri-County Health Department.
CASES Contact Information
If you would like more information about the CASES Project please email us at: CASESProject@cuanschutz.edu. You can also call Dr. Rosemary Rochford, the study principal investigator, at (303) 724-0996.
To be connected with a broad range of COVID information for providers, businesses, and the public, you can contact the Tri-County Health Department’s COVID-19 call center Monday-Friday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. at 303-220-9200 or by emailing callcenter@tchd.org.
This protocol was approved by the Colorado Multiple Institutional Review Board (COMIRB Protocol # 20-1279). If you have any questions or concerns for them, please call (303) 724-1055.
Early reports from China raised concerns that health care workers were at higher risk for COVID-19, the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2. In the US, it is assumed that First Responders including firefighters, police and emergency medical service employees, similar to healthcare practitioners, are at high risk for exposure to SARS-CoV-2. However, little is known about COVID-19 in this population. To ensure the health and safety of First Responders, both at work and in the community, we need to understand the prevalence (the percent of people who were infected with the virus) of SARS-CoV-2 within this population and how that prevalence changes over time.
During phase 1 we tested Arapahoe County first responders (firefighters, emergency personnel, police officers, etc.) for history of SARS-CoV-2 infection through blood tests to measure antibodies to the virus. Phase 1 will be split into two rounds of testing. The first round of testing was completed in August 2020. The second round of testing has begun and will end by the end of November 2020. The objectives of phase 1 of the CASES project are to:
During Phase 2 of the CASES project we selected random households throughout the county. Anyone living in a selected home and over the age of five was eligible to participate. We also offered free testing to others in the community. Phase 2 was completed in October 2020.