# The Johns Hopkins Center for AIDS Research (JHU CFAR) RADx-UP

> **NIH NIH P30** · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $3,222,658

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY: The novel Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2
or COVID-19) pandemic has exacted a grievous toll on human existence exacerbating underlying disparities
and disproportionately impacting minority, impoverished and elderly populations. Moreover, testing and contact
tracing have been identified as critical for reducing community transmission, yet uneven access by
race/ethnicity, income and geography limit effectiveness. Proposed is a cluster-randomized trial of testing
modalities with longitudinal follow-up in an urban city with COVID-19 disparities illustrative of national trends.
We propose the following Specific Aims: 1) To determine multilevel (socioeconomic, behavioral) barriers and
facilitators to SARS-CoV-2 testing using a population representative sample of households in Baltimore, MD;
2) To define the optimal SARS-CoV-2 testing modality for maximizing testing acceptance, uptake and
timeliness of providing results through a cluster-randomized comparative effectiveness trial; 3) To evaluate the
impact of testing modality and receipt of positive results on subsequent testing behavior and other behavioral,
economic and clinical outcomes; and 4) To serve as a platform for future investigations related to SARS-CoV-2
transmission and COVID-19-associated morbidity and mortality. We will recruit a population representative
sample of ~1,300 households in Baltimore City. Two-stage sampling will select census block groups (CBGs)
and households within CBGs with oversampling to ensure representation of vulnerable groups. Of 105
selected CBGs, 36 clusters will be allocated in a stratified randomization approach to one of three testing
modalities including: 1) self-administered home collection (swab/saliva/blood) kit sent to home with return
packaging; 2) referral to a community-based mobile testing van; or 3) referral to the nearest fixed testing site
(as optimized standard of care). All household members will be randomized to the same modality. The primary
outcome will be timely completion of testing and receipt of results; secondary outcomes will include the
proportion undergoing testing, and time from testing to receipt of results. During six months of follow-up, we will
monitor households for new onset COVID-19 symptoms and exposures and if evident, offer re-testing by
previously assigned modality. In addition to testing outcomes described in Aim 2, we will examine individual
and household-level behavioral (e.g., adherence to self-isolation, social distancing, mask wearing), economic
(e.g., unemployment, time to return to work, housing instability), and clinical outcomes (e.g., severity of
infection, hospitalization, mortality – endpoints which can uniquely be captured systematically through linkage
with a Maryland State health information exchange linkage. High-quality evidence from this comprehensive
effort will identify multifactorial drivers of testing disparities, provide rigorous data for the most ef...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10231583
- **Project number:** 3P30AI094189-09S1
- **Recipient organization:** JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Richard E. Chaisson
- **Activity code:** P30 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $3,222,658
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2020-09-23 → 2021-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10231583

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10231583, The Johns Hopkins Center for AIDS Research (JHU CFAR) RADx-UP (3P30AI094189-09S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10231583. Licensed CC0.

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