The Los Angeles Pandemic Surveillance Cohort Initiative

This project is a collaboration between the Population Health COVID-19 Pandemic Research Center (CPRC) initiative within the Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine of USC; the Price School of Public Policy/Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics; and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LACDPH). The overall goal is to generate data on the “true” prevalence of COVID-19 infection in LA County (overall, and among key subgroups) as well as its cumulative incidence (i.e., progression) over a defined period of time information that is crucial for planning and policy decisions. The approach being planned to achieve this goal is to recruit, with the assistance of a commercial provider that specializes in this activity, a community-based cohort of 2,000 households involving 2,000 adults (and, potentially, 1,000 associated children age 5 or greater) who are representative of the demographics of citizens in LA County, and who will consent to respond to a survey, participate in a drive-through protocol to gather “convenience” biological samples to test COVID-19 infection using a state-of-the-art antibody testing procedure (Wave 1), and then be surveyed and re-tested for antibodies again after 2-3 months (Wave 2). The current scope of work involves collection of data and samples in January-February, 2021; and the analysis of samples, data, and preliminary results related to Wave 1 by April, 2021. The associated protocol is also designed to incorporate, at minimal extra cost, labor, and inconvenience to the study participants, the gathering of additional information on the surveys and extra biological samples that will allow the investigative team to address additional goals and test hypotheses of important public health significance. The design will also establish the cohort as an on-going resource for generating additional evidence, based on maximum follow-up participation in additional surveys and testing, that addresses key questions of significance to public health policy.