Struggling with COVID? University Hospitals looking for long COVID study participants

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - University Hospitals is looking for volunteers to take part in a Long COVID study to look into who is affected the most by long COVID.

The Clinical Research Center at University Hospitals is currently enrolling adults 18 years and older who have either tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 28 days, believe they were infected with COVID-19 in the past 28 days, or have never been infected.

Vice President of Research and Associate Chief Scientific Officer at University Hospitals Grace McComsey spoke with 19 News Steven Hernandez about the study.

Officials say Ohio sees about 9,000 new cases of COVID-19 a week currently.

Long COVID can affect those infected for months or longer with effects like fatigue, brain fog, and breathing problems, the release says.

“COVID-19 has disproportionally affected racial and ethnic minority populations, including African American, Hispanic, Latino, Spanish, American Indian, and Alaskan-Native individuals, who are three times more likely to be hospitalized than White individuals,” said McComsey.

Officials say the long COVID study is to help learn more about long-term effects of the virus and to understand who is at greatest risk of having long-term effects and that participants will be followed for up to four years.

The study currently has 930 participants and hopes to enroll 1000. Compensation and a meal voucher are provided for each completed visit. Coverage for travel expenses including parking, rideshares, and mileage reimbursements are also provided for eligible participants.

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