If I want to provide a sample, what do I need to do?
If you provided a sample at a clinic and you tested positive for COVID-19, the provider will ask if you want to participate in this study.
If were tested at a non-participating clinic or at home and would like to provide a sample, please contact the LSU Health Shreveport Emerging Viral Threat lab at EVTlab@lsuhs.edu.
If were tested at a non-participating clinic or at home and would like to provide a sample, please contact the LSU Health Shreveport Emerging Viral Threat lab at EVTlab@lsuhs.edu.
Why is collecting these samples important?
Collecting viral samples and determining their genomic sequences is one of the best ways we can protect ourselves from new viral variants. By supporting local efforts to sequence the viruses that make us sick, we are able to discern health threats in our area—something the central authorities in Washington, D.C. and Atlanta, Georgia, are unable to do. Having viral sequencing occur locally also provides excellent educational opportunities for our local university, graduate and medical students at Grambling, LA Tech and LSU Health Shreveport, who may go on to work in public health or to develop new vaccines and medicines.
Where does my sample go after it’s taken?
It is put in a collection tube and delivered to LSU Health Shreveport.
What happens with my sample at the lab?
A team of trained scientists extracts the RNA (ribonucleic acid) from the COVID virus sample (the virus’s genes, not the human’s genes, are extracted). The sample will undergo amplifications which will then be decoded to identify the viral genome sequence.
Who has access to my personal information if I choose to participate?
It is entered into a secure patient registry that only your health care provider and the sequencing lab have access to. As with any coronavirus test conducted in a laboratory or medical facility, the Louisiana Department of Health also receives records of positive tests. The information is only for record-keeping purposes, and your information is always kept confidential. Aside from mandatory reporting of positive tests to the Louisiana Department of Health, which is done in a highly secure manner, your personal information is never shared beyond the registry.
How is my sample used with the other samples that are collected?
Once individual samples are successfully sequenced, the decoded viral genome information is submitted to a public database known as GISAID. Scientists and public health workers access GISAID information about SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) variants (alpha, delta) and the places / locations where they were detected. This information is used to manage virus outbreaks and keep vaccines up-to-date. Community participation in viral sequencing positively impacts its health care resources and health safety.
How do I access my results from the collection of my sample?
Health care clinic staff members can register for access to GISAID. Although they might not be permitted to share the specific virus sequence that came from your sample, they will be able to show you the full set of viral sequences from your community, even the ones that came from your specific clinic.
Is there a monetary cost to participate in this sequencing?
No. This sequencing study is supported by the Rockefeller Foundation, Louisiana Department of Health, LSU Health Shreveport, Louisiana Tech University, The Health Hut, Lincoln Health Foundation, and Grambling State University.
Where can I find additional information about COVID-19 and its variants?
These websites contain helpful information and are regularly updated:
NIH: COVID-19
Centers for Disease Control
World Health Organization
NIH: COVID-19
Centers for Disease Control
World Health Organization