# Epidemiologic Intelligence Network (EpI-Net) to promote COVID-19 testing and prevention practices among socially vulnerable communities in Puerto Rico

> **NIH NIH R21** · PONCE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE · 2021 · $1,427,381

## Abstract

PROJECT ABSTRACT
In Puerto Rico (PR), the first COVID-19 case was confirmed early March 2020. To date cases have exponentially increased
partly due to the lifting of locked-down restriction by the PR government, limited COVID-19 testing, and contact tracing. Puerto
Ricans living on the island are particularly vulnerable to the current overlapping of the COVID-19 pandemic and natural
disasters (earthquake, hurricanes/storms). Limited access to molecular COVID-19 testing throughout PR has been a
significant challenge. Without adequate testing, estimates for SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) infection rates are limited and
targeted prevention efforts (focused testing) may hinder. A group of epidemiologists led by Dr. Marzán (MPI) developed a
web-based COVID-19 Epidemiologic Surveillance System (ESSS) in collaboration with the Puerto Rico Public Health Trust
(PRPHT, community partner for this grant) with more than 46,000 surveys completed. The ESSS tool is an online geocoded
survey that identifies real-time data of COVID-19 signs and symptoms during the last 24 hours; and thus, prioritizes
communities for COVID-19 testing. Leveraging the current PHSU-PRI COVID-19 prevention efforts and the ESSS
infrastructure, the research team will test the preliminary impact of an epidemic intelligence (EpI-Net) community-based
intervention aimed at increasing COVID-19 testing uptake and prevention practices among socially vulnerable communities
in PR. The working hypothesis is that the integration of lay community leaders, trained in the use of COVID-19 prevention
technology tools (EpI-Net), will result in increased COVID-19 testing uptake and prevention practices among the targeted
socially and epidemiologically vulnerable communities in Puerto Rico. This highly innovative and impactful study will shift
current COVID-19 prevention strategies by 1) establishing an epidemic intelligence infrastructure using a technology-based
COVID-19 syndromic surveillance (ESSS) platform to identify in real time potential COVID-19 outbreaks and, thus, conduct
targeted COVID-19 testing, 2) by implementing a population-based COVID-19 prevention intervention (EpI-Net) co-led by
epidemiologists and lay community leaders trained as health promotors.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10258972
- **Project number:** 3R21MD013674-02S2
- **Recipient organization:** PONCE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
- **Principal Investigator:** Eida Maria Castro
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $1,427,381
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2018-09-17 → 2023-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10258972

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10258972, Epidemiologic Intelligence Network (EpI-Net) to promote COVID-19 testing and prevention practices among socially vulnerable communities in Puerto Rico (3R21MD013674-02S2). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10258972. Licensed CC0.

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