SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Testing in Vulnerable Communities

Low-income residents of Los Angeles County are dying of COVID-19 at a rate nearly four times that of residents in wealthier communities. The current pandemic is magnifying existing health disparities and is creating an immediate need for increased testing, better understanding of personalized risk in low-income households, connection to health care and support services, and culturally-tailored information and recommendations. The primary goal of the study is to recruit a random sample of 2000 persons (500-1000 households) who have sought care at AltaMed Health Services (a Federally Qualified Health Center in Los Angeles), and test them for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. A secondary objective is to integrate test results with a brief set of self-report measures on social determinants of health to predict risk of positive tests. Households are invited to complete a survey and members are offered $20 to participate in antibody testing. We will estimate the true proportion of positive tests and produce displays of the frequency distribution of positive tests as they relate to most common medical conditions and social determinants of health, caregiving responsibilities, and food access/distance needed to travel to obtain essential goods. This project will provide valuable information about those most at risk of contracting COVID-19 and will offer actionable information that may help prevent further spread of the disease.