Thank you for your important efforts in helping Canada combat COVID-19. Your biological data will help researchers gain more insight about COVID-19 immunity levels.
The Action to Beat Coronavirus (Ab-C) study will be the first in Canada to use blood-based antibody testing on a large, random sample of Canadians to better understand how many people have been ex-posed to COVID-19 and how long those antibodies last. Your small act is helping to lead the fight against this terrible disease.
We will be able to measure exposure to or vaccination against COVID-19 using a small sample of blood, which will be analyzed for the presence of antibodies specific to COVID-19 (markers of past exposure or vaccination). Research into COVID-19 is still at early stages and there are many things we still do not know. Because of this, we cannot determine when you were exposed to COVID-19 or if you are immune to it.
However, this information is fundamental to understanding how COVID-19 has spread through the population, how common asymptomatic people are, and how many people were exposed but did not get sick enough to seek medical attention. This information has enormous implications, particularly as countries lift physical distancing measures and vaccine development continues.
A DBS test is a type of bio sampling where blood obtained by a finger-prick lancet is blotted on filter paper and allowed to dry. You will be sent a DBS Test Kit in the mail within a few weeks of agreeing to participate in this study. The kit will contain everything you need to do the test and return the results to us at no cost to you.
You can see the detailed written instructions here.
The following video will show Dr. Jha performing the test.
Please Note:
The test kit will be sent to you by mail. You address was provided by Angus Reid Forum when you agreed to participate in this test.
After you have completed the test, you can pack the test card in the postage-paid return envelope and drop it in the mail. It will be delivered to us promptly.
When the results are ready, you will receive an email with your results in a PDF attachment and instructions on how to access them.