Welcome to the website for the Covid-19 and Trust in Science (CATS) Project. CATS is housed at the Interdisciplinary Center for Innovative Theory and Empirics at Columbia University, led by Gil Eyal, Cristian Capotescue, and Larry Au.
We are interested in the experiences of recovering or recovered Covid-19 patients. We are especially interested in those who have Long Covid (or Long Haul Covid or Post-Covid Syndrome), which is understood broadly as the persisting symptoms and complications arising from Covid-19 that last for weeks and months, well beyond the period of acute illness [1]. These symptoms vary according to patient, but include symptoms such as fatigue, brain fog, and respiratory distress [2]. Researchers have estimated that about 10 to 35% of those with Covid-19 develop Long Covid [3].
CATS aims to document: (1) the experience of recovering Covid-19 patients and Long Covid patients as they attempt to gain access to medical care and support; and (2) the sources of trustworthy information that Long Covid patients rely on to make decisions about their own health and wellbeing.
If you have recovered from Covid-19, are recovering from Covid-19, or consider yourself to be a Long Covid patient and are aged 18 or above, we would be grateful if you could complete the CATS survey. At the end of the survey, you will be asked if you would be interested in participating in a follow up interview conducted by one of the CATS researchers where we hope to learn more about your experience. Any information you provide will be used to inform our research, and your name and contact information will be kept confidentially. Participants who successfully complete an interview will receive a $25 gift card.
To begin the 8 to 10 minute survey, please click on the following link:
https://cumc.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_77FWhSroOcIocke
If you have any questions about CATS or about your participation, please reach out to [email protected]. If at any time you have concerns about the conduct of the research or your rights as a participant, you should contact Columbia University’s Institutional Review Board (IRB). The IRB phone number is 212-305-5883 and the email is [email protected]. The protocol number for this study is AAAT8370, and can be referenced in communications.
References
[1] Callard, Felicity, and Elisa Perego. 2021. “How and Why Patients Made Long Covid.” Social Science & Medicine 268:113426.
[2] Davis, Hannah E., Gina S. Assaf, Lisa McCorkell, Hannah Wei, Ryan J. Low, Yochai Re’em, Signe Redfield, Jared P. Austin, and Athena Akrami. 2021. “Characterizing Long COVID in an International Cohort: 7 Months of Symptoms and Their Impact.” MedRxiv 2020.12.24.20248802.
[3] Pavli, Androula, Maria Theodoridou, and Helena C. Maltezou. 2021. “Post-COVID Syndrome: Incidence, Clinical Spectrum, and Challenges for Primary Healthcare Professionals.” Archives of Medical Research.