# Health Disparities and SARS-COV-2 Evolution: A Focused Viral Genomics Study

> **NIH NIH U54** · LSU PENNINGTON BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH CTR · 2021 · $737,607

## Abstract

Health Disparities and SARS-CoV-2 Evolution: A Focused Viral Genomics Study
Project Summary/Abstract
We hypothesize that prolonged COVID19 illness, re-infection, and/or post-vaccine infection in
patients with chronic conditions are associated with specific SARS-CoV-2 lineages or mutations,
and that increasing the awareness of the potential danger posed by variants of concern will
improve testing adherence and variant tracking. We propose to use our established FDA-
authorized COVID19 sequencing platform in combination with innovative data analytics and
clinical bioinformatics as well as our BMI and community engagement KCAs. Our proposal
addresses four of the priority areas indicated by NOT-GM-21-031, specifically:
• Are there different variants present in the study population, and how has the number of cases
 caused by different variants changed over time in the study population?
• How are different variants distributed among different racial, ethnical, gender, and/or age
groups?
• Are specific variants associated with different levels of manifestation of COVID19 symptoms?
• Do vaccinated study participants still acquire the SARS-CoV-2 virus, and if so, what variants
 do they carry?
We propose these Specific Aims:
Specific Aim 1. To improve surveillance of COVID19 by integrating SARS-CoV-2 sequencing and
clinical data with a focus on under-represented, vulnerable and remote populations. Using highly
automated processes, we will identify variants/mutations associated with clinical phenotypes,
including prolonged asymptomatic/antibody-positive individuals, re-infected, and vaccinated
populations. All trend data will be integrated in the AWS cloud where it can be accessed by
relevant stakeholders including testing and vaccine program partners.
Specific Aim 2. To develop and validate simulation models that incorporate SARS-CoV-2 genetic
data with clinical outcomes to predict COVID19 case severity in Louisiana by region as
vaccination levels increase.
Specific Aim 3. To design and deploy culturally and linguistically appropriate outreach material on
SARS-CoV-2 and determine whether increased knowledge of the potential danger of adaptive
mutations improves acceptance of testing and vaccination.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10381371
- **Project number:** 3U54GM104940-06S2
- **Recipient organization:** LSU PENNINGTON BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH CTR
- **Principal Investigator:** JOHN P. KIRWAN
- **Activity code:** U54 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $737,607
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2012-08-15 → 2022-08-04

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10381371

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10381371, Health Disparities and SARS-COV-2 Evolution: A Focused Viral Genomics Study (3U54GM104940-06S2). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10381371. Licensed CC0.

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