UTHealth researchers partner with Texas DSHS on effort to determine prevalence of COVID-19 antibodies

A cooperative effort between The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) and the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) gave life to the Texas Coronavirus Antibody Response Survey (CARES) this week, to chart how many people in Texas have COVID-19 antibodies.

Texas CARES marks the nation’s largest COVID-19 serological testing assessment to date and could provide critical information on past infections and, potentially, how many residents may have some degree of immunity to the disease. According to the latest figures from Johns Hopkins University, COVID-19 cases have led to 17,483 deaths in Texas so far, though nearly 730,000 people once infected have recovered.

“Texans who participate in this survey will provide valuable information about who has and who has not been infected and how that is changing over time,” Dr. Eric Boerwinkle, dean and M. David Low Chair in Public Health at UTHealth School of Public Health, said. “I’m asked all the time about how a person can help in this fight against COVID-19. Well, participating in this survey is one way all Texans can help.”

DSHS is helping to develop and fund the new survey, which will be supplemented with antibody testing purchased by the state and funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Beyond a numbers game, the study will also help researchers sort out how infections spread over time, the risk factors involved with COVID-19, and inform planning for future health care needs related to the ongoing pandemic.

Approximately 100,000 people will be enrolled for the study, which will consist of a brief health survey and a blood draw at a participating clinic. Up to three antibody tests may be given several months apart. The survey team seeks a diverse population for the survey, so it could potentially determine one of the oldest questions surrounding the disease: why some patients are asymptomatic and how they may or may not affect their antibody response.

Texas CARES will break things down into several groups: children ages five to 17, teachers, retail, business, and service industry employees, as well as patients and staff at community clinics. Anyone who has tested positive, negative, or never been tested at all is eligible for the assessment.