From the earliest days of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health at the University of Arizona Health Sciences has taken a leading role in research efforts. Several studies provided and continue to provide the data needed to inform personal and public health decisions about the virus, vaccines and ongoing health complications. Some of those projects include, AZ Heroes, Track PCC and CoVHORT.
AZ HEROES
The Arizona Healthcare, Emergency Response, and Other Essential Workers Surveillance, or AZ HEROES, study evaluates vaccine effectiveness, including different vaccine types and adherence to recommended vaccine doses and timing. The study assesses the duration of vaccine protection and the degree to which vaccines prevent more severe illness in cases when vaccinated individuals become infected, especially with new variants.
“We have learned so much from the AZ HEROES study that informs decisions about COVID-19 vaccines and how to limit the spread of the virus,” said Jeff Burgess, MD, MS, MPH, leader of AZ HEROES, professor in the UArizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health and BIO5 Institute member.
AZ HEROES began in 2020 and originally focused on incidence of COVID-19 infection, reinfection and immunity among health care personnel, first responders and other essential workers. It later expanded to include children age 4 months to 17 years and underserved populations.
“Our findings inform science-based vaccine guidance and public health decisions,” said AZ HEROES co-investigator Karen Lutrick, PhD, assistant professor in the UArizona College of Medicine – Tucson’s Department of Family and Community Medicine. “The AZ HEROES study shows community support for research and for the CDC’s effort to provide the best public health guidance possible, based on the best science. We are so appreciative of all of the study participants who provide us with this vital data.”
The AZ HEROES study includes data from a diverse population of approximately 4,000 adults and children. The study is currently assessing the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines in preventing infection or preventing symptoms when infection occurs. It will also examine if vaccine effectiveness is affected by sociodemographic and health characteristics or prior infection history.
Track PCC
Another study “Tracking the Burden, Distribution, Impact of Post COVID-19 Conditions in Diverse Populations for Children, Adolescents, Adults,” or Track PCC, is a national effort to track the impact of post-COVID-19 conditions, or PCC, in diverse populations of children, adolescents and adults. UArizona Health Sciences is one of five national sites participating in the CDC’s Track PCC initiative.
The study seeks to understand the long-term effects of post-COVID-19 conditions across all age groups and in underserved communities or population groups who experience disparities including Hispanics, Native Americans, children and people with special health care needs.
“Arizona was hit hard by the pandemic with the second-highest number of COVID-19 deaths per 100,000 residents compared with other states,” said Jennifer Andrews, PhD, associate professor in the UArizona College of Medicine – Tucson’s Department of Pediatrics.
Andrews is leading Arizona Track PCC alongside co-principal investigators Kristen Pogreba-Brown, PhD, MPH, associate professor and epidemiologist in the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health and a BIO5 Institute member, and Susan Robinson of the Arizona Department of Health Services.
As part of Arizona Track PCC, researchers will estimate the number of people experiencing post-COVID-19 complications in Arizona using data in health care records and administrative databases. One-thousand individuals are being tracked to record the progression of post-COVID-19 conditions over time.
Data is collected and analyzed in partnership with the Arizona Department of Health Services and other health care partners. The project works closely with CoVHORT, which was established early in the pandemic to track the direct and indirect impacts of COVID-19 in Arizona.
Arizona CoVHORT
With more than 8,500 participants, CoVHORT data helps researchers learn about trends in post-COVID-19 conditions, monitor health outcomes, recommend prevention and care strategies, and inform the community of problems resulting from exposure to SARS-CoV-2.
“CoVHORT helps us address the diverse rural and cultural populations that are unique to our state, to look at biomedical and social risk factors, and to translate the data into practice and treatments,” said epidemiologist Kristen Pogreba-Brown, PhD, MPH, one of the lead researchers on the study and associate professor in the UArizona Zuckerman College of Public Health.
The CoVHORT research team includes faculty, staff and students from colleges across the UArizona Health Sciences campus, including the Zuckerman College of Public Health, College of Medicine – Tucson and the College of Medicine – Phoenix, as well as the School of Human Evolution and Social Change at Arizona State University.
“CoVHORT is a very traditional, longitudinal epidemiologic study. We try to be as hands-off as possible, because we are trying to see what the progression of things are over time. This information will help us understand what treatments work best in the fight against long COVID,” Pogreba-Brown said. “We send people surveys every three months if they are not having symptoms or every six weeks if they are having symptoms.”
CoVHORT aims to catch all of the data to track how a COVID-19 infection might progress into long COVID for some and not others. Questions related to stress, anxiety and depression are also included. The study asks about food security, multigenerational housing, health insurance and work environment to elucidate social determinants that can play a role in health outcomes.
“We want to know if you get sick, how quickly are you recovering? If you are having long-term symptoms, what are those symptoms?” she said. “We ask people questions about what their health was like before the pandemic, such as other chronic conditions they might have including diabetes or heart disease.”
The world still faces several challenges and uncertainties even after COVID-19 public health emergency declarations have expired. These research endeavors, AZ Heroes, Track PCC and CoVHORT, are providing essential data that will ultimately improve the health of individuals and communities moving forward.
