# A Dynamic COVID-19 Community-Engaged Testing Strategy in Alabama (COVID COMET AL)

> **NIH NIH P30** · UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM · 2020 · $3,323,570

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY / ABSTRACT
Alabama is ranked as the state most vulnerable to COVID-19 by the community vulnerability index, and among
the bottom 5 states in meeting SARS-CoV-2 testing targets. COVID-19 case rates are 3-fold higher in several
rural counties in Alabama relative to metropolitan areas like Birmingham, with SARS-CoV-2 testing percent
positivity approaching or exceeding 20% in a majority of rural counties. Meaningful community engagement in
developing and implementing SARS-CoV-2 testing programs is vital to proactively address social, ethical and
behavioral considerations germane to underserved communities. University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB)
Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) investigators have long-standing relationships working with clinical,
community, and public health agencies to conduct innovative HIV testing and prevention studies, and are poised
to act swiftly in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. A Dynamic COVID-19 Community-Engaged Testing
Strategy in Alabama (COVID COMET AL) will transfer vast community-informed HIV testing knowledge to
address the urgent need for rapid scale-up of SARS-CoV-2 testing among underserved rural, socio-economically
disadvantaged, and Black/African American populations. COVID COMET AL is grounded in the ADAPT
framework for tailoring evidence-based public health interventions for new settings and populations, and includes
Assessment, Preparation, and Implementation phases. In collaboration with well-established clinical and
community testing partners, regional health education centers, and additional community-based organizations,
CFAR investigators will work together with interdisciplinary scientists from across campus at UAB to conduct the
following specific aims: Aim 1 (Assessment): Refine a data-driven, time-updated algorithm to identify the
underserved rural counties most impacted by COVID-19 in Alabama, Aim 2 (Preparation): Use a community-
engaged sequential mixed-methods approach to inform tailored adaptation and implementation of the COVID
COMET AL strategy in highly impacted rural counties selected for implementation, Aim 3 (Implementation):
Deploy the iteratively adapted COVID COMET AL strategy, which includes peer health advocates, community
health workers, and venue based testing, in 3 highly impacted rural Alabama counties at a time, in two sequential
waves, each lasting 6-months, and Aim 4: Evaluate the implementation process of COVID COMET AL in
partnering with community stakeholders to maximize program reach, effectiveness, and sustainability. Using a
quasi-experimental, paired, comparative time series study design, temporal change in SARS-CoV-2 testing
percent positivity will be compared in the 6 implementation counties relative to 6 matched control counties as
the primary outcome, with testing reach, time to return test results, and time to contact tracing as secondary
outcomes. Evaluation of COVID COMET AL implementation grounded in the Interactive Systems Framework
will inf...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10232618
- **Project number:** 3P30AI027767-32S1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM
- **Principal Investigator:** Michael S. Saag
- **Activity code:** P30 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $3,323,570
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2020-09-23 → 2023-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10232618

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10232618, A Dynamic COVID-19 Community-Engaged Testing Strategy in Alabama (COVID COMET AL) (3P30AI027767-32S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-28 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10232618. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*