Researchers at Marshfield Clinic Research Institute recently received a $4 million grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to study the occurrence and impact of COVID-19 in rural communities.
“This study will help us understand how the new coronavirus is affecting people in the Marshfield area. The findings will contribute to a more effective public health response, not only in central Wisconsin, but also potentially in rural communities elsewhere,” said Huong McLean, Ph.D., research scientist at the Research Institute’s Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Population Health and primary investigator on the study. “I am excited for our team and the great opportunity for our region to contribute to this landmark community study.”
The study will actively recruit and follow up to 1,500 people of all ages who live in Marshfield and surrounding areas. Enrollment, which begins in November, is by invitation only. Participants will be followed weekly for one year to identify new COVID-19 infections, assess risk factors for infection, and describe the spectrum of COVID-19 illness across the lifespan.
