Our study team will follow community participants, 12–36 months old, for three years. During an initial in-person study visit, parents will answer questions about their child’s health and demographics, and your child will undergo two nasal swabs. During the surveillance period, your child will undergo nasal swabs and you will be asked to complete a brief online survey about the sample collection and your child’s health. This will occur four times a year and each time your child has a new cold. These swabs may be taken at home and do not require a visit in person, though an in-person visit will be available if requested. In addition, you will be asked to bring your child for an in-person study visit after their first and second years in the study. The purpose of this annual check-in visit is to provide you with more home testing supplies, review sample collection techniques, and answer any questions you may have.
Incentive: Families will be paid $50 at enrollment and $20 for each sample collection time point. There is a study completion bonus of $50.
Surveillance (Healthy) Samples and Surveys
Families enrolled in the study will be asked to collect two nasal swabs from their child and complete a brief online survey during the surveillance months of February, April, September, and December. You should only collect surveillance samples during these months if your child has been free of respiratory symptoms for at least two weeks before sampling.
You may collect samples at home, either independently or with the support of the study team via a virtual visit. You also have the option to bring your child for in-person visits so that a member of the study team can collect the nasal samples.
When you collect samples at home, you will either mail samples to the study team in prepaid, self-addressed mailing containers, or you can drop samples off to a study team member.
Each time a surveillance sample is collected, you will also complete a very brief online survey. The survey will collect information about sample collection (i.e., date, time, etc.) and your child’s present health.
Sick Samples and Surveys
Families enrolled in the study will be asked to watch for respiratory symptoms and collect two nasal swabs 24–48 hours after symptom onset.
You may collect nasal swabs at home, either independently or with the support of the study team via a virtual visit. You also have the option to bring your child for in-person visits so that a member of the study team can collect the nasal samples.
When you collect samples at home, you will either mail samples to the study team in prepaid, self-addressed mailing containers, or you can drop samples off to a study team member.
Each time sick samples are collected, you will also complete a very brief online survey. The survey will collect information about sample collection (i.e., date, time, etc.) and your child’s present health.
Submitting an online survey will alert the study team to the participant’s illness, and they will document the receipt of samples. The study team will also schedule a 10-Day Follow-Up Survey link to be emailed to the caregiver 7 days after sick samples collection. The Follow-Up Survey will need to be completed 10 +/- 3 days after sample collection, and it will collect information on the course, severity, treatment, and resolution of the illness.