VA research during the COVID-19 pandemic

Overview News Briefs Selected Studies by VA Researchers Clinical Trials Laboratory Studies Data Analysis/Review Other Research Commentary Active and Recently Completed Research Clinical trials Observational studies Data analysis projects Other research activities COVID-19 work highlighted on HSR&D; site Useful links

COVID-19 FACT SHEET Download PDF For VA investigators: Please check our funding page for news about new funding opportunities relating to COVID-19.

Overview

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, VA Research has undertaken a wide array of activities to support and advance VA's clinical and research missions and help Veterans affected by the disease. These efforts have spanned biomedical research, therapeutics and vaccine clinical trials, and data analyses that leverage VA's rich electronic health record system. VA Research has coordinated closely with internal VA and external partners—such as the National Institutes of Health and other federal agencies, and pharmaceutical companies—to identify the areas in which VA's nationwide research capacity, resources, and infrastructure could make the greatest contribution.

On this web page, we summarize recent and current COVID-19 research across the VA system.

News Briefs

Gene variants increase COVID-19 kidney risk in patients with African ancestry
Veterans of African ancestry who had gene variants linked to kidney injury were at heightened risk of acute kidney injury from COVID-19, found a VA Million Veteran Program study. COVID-19 can cause significant risk of acute kidney injury. Previous research has shown that people of African ancestry with two copies of specific variants of the APOL1 gene have increased rates of kidney disease. The researchers looked at genetic data on 990 MVP participants of African ancestry who were hospitalized with COVID-19. They found that patients with two copies of the high-risk APOL1 variants had higher odds of developing acute kidney disease, kidney disease severity, and death, compared with patients with one or none of the gene variants. This risk existed even in patients with prior normal kidney function. The findings suggest that genetic risk assessment could help predict kidney risk from COVID-19 in patients with African ancestry, say the researchers. (JAMA Internal Medicine, Jan. 28, 2022)

Study identifies gene variant that may protect against severe COVID-19
An international study using VA Million Veteran Program data identified a specific gene variant that may protect against severe COVID-19 infection. The team, including a VA Boston researcher, studied the genome of nearly 3,000 patients of African ancestry with COVID-19 and more than 130,000 controls of African ancestry. They found that individuals with a specific variant of the gene OAS1 had a decreased chance of developing severe COVID-19. Previous studies of people of European ancestry identified the region on the genome containing OAS1 as related to COVID-19 risk. By examining this region in those with African ancestry, the researchers were able both to show that people of different ancestry shared this protection and to home in on the specific gene variant. People with this gene variant produce a longer form of a specific protein, which is more effective at breaking down the virus that causes COVID-19 than other forms of the protein. The finding could help develop new drugs against COVID-19, according to the researchers. The study also shows the importance of including ethnically diverse populations in genetic studies, they say. (Nature Genetics, Jan. 13, 2022)

Simple COVID-19 severity definition helps track pandemic
A simple definition of COVID-19 severity can help track pandemic severity and spread, according to a study by VA Boston researchers. COVID-19 hospitalization tracking often does not include disease severity. The researchers looked at data on COVID-19 admission to a VA hospital between March 2020 and November 2021. They defined moderate-to-severe COVID-19 as cases needing supplemental oxygen or a blood oxygen level of less than 94%. Among 67,000 patients, moderate-to-severe COVID-19 cases fell from 64% of total cases to 56%, driven by lower rates in vaccinated patients. Cases of more severe disease were highly correlated with dexamethasone medication receipt. They also increased after July 2021, corresponding to the emergence of the delta variant. The results show that this objective definition of COVID-19 severity can be used to detect trends in vaccine effectiveness and guide treatment and risk factor assessment, say the researchers. (Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, Jan. 11, 2022)

COVID-19 disparities narrowed as pandemic continued
Racial and ethnic disparities in testing positive for COVID-19 improved as the pandemic went on, according to a study of more than a million VA patients. The pandemic has disproportionally impacted racial and ethnic minority communities in the United States. Researchers looked at VA COVID-19 testing data from between February 2020 and August 2021. They found that racial and ethnic disparities for testing positive were more pronounced at the beginning of the pandemic. At the start of the pandemic, all racial and ethnic minority groups had higher positive rates than White patients. These disparities decreased over time. The disparity remained highest in Hispanic patients later into the pandemic, but the difference lowered with time. Disparities in Asian patients disappeared by March 2021, with fewer positive cases in Asian patients than White patients by the study’s end. While the findings suggest that tailored interventions to reach higher-risk groups were effective, say the researchers, the shrinking of disparities was also due to an increase in COVID-19 cases in White patients. (Scientific Reports, Jan. 7, 2022)

Vaccines effective in immunocompromised patients, but antibody levels lower
Vaccines are effective against symptomatic COVID-19 among immunocompromised patients, found a review by Iowa City VA researchers and colleagues. But vaccine effectiveness was lower than in non-compromised controls. The researchers reviewed 20 studies on COVID-19 vaccine response. They found that mRNA vaccines were about 70% effective for immunocompromised patients. Reasons for immunocompromised status included solid organ transplant, malignant diseases, and inflammatory rheumatic diseases. While vaccines were protective for these patients, healthy control groups had much higher antibody levels. More study is needed to understand this difference between antibody production and disease protection, say the researchers. (Journal of Infection, Jan. 1, 2022)

View all studies

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Selected Studies by VA Researchers

Clinical Trials

The effect of povidone-iodine nasal spray on COVID-19 nasopharyngeal viral load in patients: A randomized control trial. Zarabanda D, Vukkadala N, Phillips KM, Qian ZJ, Mfuh KO, Hatter M, Lee IT et al. Data suggest that dilute version of povidone-iodine nasal spray are safe for topical use in the nasal cavity, but that the spray does not demonstrate virucidal activity in COVID-19 positive outpatients. Laryngoscope. 2021 Nov 1. Online ahead of print.

Efficacy and safety of baricitinib for the treatment of hospitalised adults with COVID-19 (COV-BARRIER): A randomised, double-blind, parallel-group, placebo-controlled phase 3 trial. Marconi VC, Ramanan AV, de Bono S, Kartman CE, Krishnan V, Liao R, Piruzeli ML et al. Although there was no significant reduction in the frequency of disease progression overall, treatment with baricitinib in addition to standard of care (including dexamethasone) had a similar safety profile to that of standard care alone, and was associated with reduced mortality in hospitalized adults with COVID-19. Lancet Respir Med. 2021 Aug 31. Online ahead of print.

Baricitinib plus remdesivir for hospitalized adults with Covid-19. Kalil AC, et al. Baricitinib plus remdesivir was superior to remdesivir alone in reducing recovery time and accelerating improvement in clinical status among patients with COVID-19, notably among those receiving high-flow oxygen or noninvasive ventilation. N Eng J Med. 2021 Mar 4;384(9):795-807.

A neutralizing monoclonal antibody for hospitalized patients with Covid-19. ACTIV-3/TICO LY-CoV555 Study group, Lundgren JD, et al. Monoclonal antibody LY-CoV555, when coadministered with remdesivir, did not demonstrate efficacy among hospitalized patients who had COVID-19. N Engl J Med. 2020 Dec 22. Online ahead of print.

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Laboratory Studies

Single-cell multi-omics reveals dyssynchrony of the innate and adaptive immune system in progressive COVID-19. Unterman A, Sumida TS, Nouri N, Yan X, Zhao AY, Gasque V, Schupp JC et al. In-depth immune profiling reveals dysregulation of the innate and adaptive immune response in progressive COVID-19. Nat Commun. 2022 Jan 21;13(1):440.

Expression of ACE2 in human neurons supports the neuro-invasive potential of COVID-19 virus .Xu J, Lazartigues E. Human neuron cells express ACE2 enzymes, which could potentially allow SARS-CoV-2 to invade neurons and cause neurological symptoms. Cell Mol Neurobiol. 2022 Jan;42(1):305-309.

Detection of antibody responses against SARS-CoV-2 in plasma and saliva from vaccinated and infected individuals. Klingler J, Lambert GS, Itri V, Liu S, Bandres JC, Enyindah-Asonye G, Liu X et al. Although saliva levels were significantly lower, a strong correlation was observed between plasma and saliva antibody levels in vaccinated and convalescent COVID-19 patients. Front Immunol. 2021 Dec 20;12:759688.

BNT162b2 vaccine induces divergent B cell responses to SARS-CoV-2 S1 and S2. Brewer RC, Ramadoss NS, Lahey LJ, Jahanbani S, Robinson WH, Lanz TV. Messenger RNA vaccines for COVID-19 produced strong immune responses, and this response was strongly boosted by the second does, which delivers potently neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 and several of its variants. Nat Immunol. 2021 Nov 30. Online ahead of print.

Glycosylation and disulfide bonding of wild-type SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein. Zhang S, Go EP, Ding H, Anang S, Kappes JC, Desaire H, Sodroski JG. The study examined the biology of the SARS-CoV-2 virus spike protein, which allows it to enter cell membranes. The findings could expedite the improvement of vaccines and therapies for COVID-19. J Virol. 2021 Nov 24. Online ahead of print.

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Data Analysis/Review

New-onset and exacerbated insomnia symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic in US military Veterans: A nationally representative, prospective cohort study. McCarthy, E, DeViva JC, Na PJ, Pietrzak RH. Nearly one in five U.S. Veterans studied developed new-onset or exacerbated insomnia symptoms during the pandemic. J Sleep Res. 2022 Feb;31(1):e13450.

The incidence of diabetes among 2,777,768 Veterans with and without recent SARS-CoV-2 infection. Wander PL, Lowy E, Beste LA, Tulloch-Palomino L, Korpak A, Peterson AC, Kahn SE, Boyko EJ. SARS-CoV-2 is associated with higher risk of incident diabetes in men but not women. Diabetes Care. 2022 Jan 27. Online ahead of print.

Serious mental illness diagnosis and COVID-19 vaccine uptake in the Veterans Health Administration. Haderlein TP, Steers WN, Dobalian A. VA patients with and without serious mental illness were equally likely to receive COVID-19 vaccines. Psychiatr Serv. 2022 Jan 18. Online ahead of print.

Association of vitamin D status and COVID-19-related hospitalization and mortality. Seal KH, Bertenthal D, Carey E, Grunfeld C, Bikle DD, Lu CM. Vitamin D blood concentrations are inversely associated with COVID-19-related hospitalization and mortality. J Gen Intern Med. 2022 Jan 1:1-9. Online ahead of print.

COVID-19 vaccination associated with reduced postoperative SARS-CoV-2 infection and mortality . Prasad NK, Lake R, Englum BR, Turner DJ, Siddiqui T, Mayorga-Carlin M, Sorkin JD, Lal BK. COVID-19 vaccination is associated with lower rates of postoperative death. Ann Surg. 2022 Jan 1;275(1):31-36.

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Other Research

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health, occupational functioning, and professional retention among health care workers and first responders. Hendrickson RC, Slevin RA, Hoerster KD, Chang BP, Sano E, McCall CA, Monty GR et al. The results show potentially treatable psychiatric symptoms in health care workers and first responders, impacting both well-being and the health care system. J Gen Intern Med. 2021 Dec 16. Online ahead of print.

Do pliexiglass barriers reduce the risk for transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)? Cadnum JL, Jencson AL, Donskey CJ. In simulations, physical barriers with no openings were effective in reducing contamination with an aerosolized benign virus or fluorescent microspheres, but barriers with openings were not. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2021 Nov 2;1-4.

Attitudes and intentions of US Veterans regarding COVID-19 vaccination. Jasuja GK, Meterko M, Bradshaw LD, Carbonaro R, Clayman ML, LoBrutto L, Miano D et al. Survey findings provide information needed to develop trusted messages to address Veteran vaccine hesitancy. Conversations need to emphasize societal reasons for getting vaccinated and benefits to one’s own health. JAMA Netw Open. 2021 Nov 1;4(11):e2132548.

Impact of exposure to patients with COVID-19 on residents and fellows: An international survey of 1420 trainees. Cravero AL, Kim NJ, Feld LD, Berry K, Rabiee A, Bazarbashi N, Bassin S et al. Exposure to patients with COVID-19 is significantly associated with higher burnout rates in physician trainees. Postgrad Med J. 2021 Nov;97(1153):706-715.

Does a lack of vaccine side effects correlate with reduced BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine response among healthcare workers and nursing home residents? Ovebanji OA, Wilson B, Keresztesy D, Carias L, Wilk D, Payne M, Aung H et al. Subjects who reported post-vaccination reactions developed higher antibody levels. Aging Clin Exp Res. 2021 Oct 15:1-10

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Commentary

Smoking enhances suicide risk—A significant role in the COID-19 pandemic? Sher L. Tobacco smoking cessation may be needed to reduce suicidal behavior during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. QJM. 2022 Jan 5;114(11):767-769.

Chasing the storm: Recruiting non-hospitalized patients for a multi-site randomized controlled trial in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hu K, Tardif JC, Huber M, Daly M, Langford AT, Kirby R, Rosenberg Y et al. Researchers share difficulties and strategies for recruiting participants to COVID-19 trials during the pandemic. Clin Transl Sci. 2021 Dec 24. Online ahead of print.

Suicide prevention in the COVID-19 era. Rothman S, Sher L. With the COVID-19 pandemic affecting mental health and creating social isolation, preventative measures need to be implemented universally. Prev Med. 2021 Nov;152(Pt 1):106547.

Conquering COVID-19: How global vaccine inequality risks prolonging the pandemic. Oehler RL, Vega VR. Wealthier countries must do more to eliminate the inequality that exists in COVID-19 vaccine availability in less-developed nations. As long as the pandemic rages in any corner of the globe, the world will never be truly rid of COVID-19. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2021 Sep 9;8(10):ofab443.

Addressing and inspiring vaccine confidence in Black, indigenous, and people of color during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Marcelin JR, Swartz TH, Bernice F, Berthaud V, Christian R, da Costa C, Fadul N et al. This article explores the impact of inequities on vaccine acceptance and ways to establish trustworthiness in health care institutions; increase vaccine access in minority communities; and inspire confidence in COVID-19 vaccines. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2021 Aug 0;8(9):ofab417.

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Active and Recently Completed Research

Clinical trials

As of November 2021, nearly 70 VA medical centers are involved in one or more COVID-19 clinical trials. Below are several examples. A full list of COVID-19 Clinical Trials in VA is also available.

• VA CURES—The wide-reaching VA CURES master protocol, launched in August 2020, enables a series of clinical trials across VA. The initial study examined the effects of convalescent plasma. VA CURES stands for “Coronavirus Research and Efficacy Studies.” The initiative aims to give Veterans faster access to potential COVID-19 treatments and to test their effectiveness. As a master protocol, VA CURES offers a standardized framework for studies on many potential treatments for COVID-19, without the need for a new study design and protocol each time. VA CURES now serves as a partnering network for trials and VA trial sites.

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• VA has been part of two major national research initiatives on COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics:  Operation Warp Speed (OWS) and the Accelerating COVID-19 Therapeutic Interventions and Vaccines (ACTIV) initiative.
  • Through OWS and other efforts, VA was an active participant in several clinical trials designed to evaluate potential COVID-19 vaccines. These trials have included:
    • The Moderna/COVE trial, which took place at one VA site. In December 2020, Moderna obtained an emergency use authorization for its vaccine from the FDA.
    • The AstraZeneca trial, now closed to enrollment.
    • The Janssen ENSEMBLE trial, which included 17 VA sites and is now closed to enrollment. The vaccine received FDA emergency use authorization in late February 2021.
    • The Pfizer trial, now closed to enrollment. In December 2020, Pfizer obtained an emergency use authorization for its vaccine from the FDA.
    • The Novavax trial, now closed to enrollment in VA.
• ACTIV, led by the National Institutes of Health, brings together multiple groups within VA, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of Defense, as well as outside organizations, to conduct large-scale clinical trials. VA is participating in two ACTIV protocols:
  • ACTIV-2 is a trial platform for outpatients with mild COVID-19 with risk of worsening illness. It is investigating multiple new drugs for potential COVID-19 treatment through clinical trials. ACTIV-2 has completed studies on six monoclonal antibodies, an antiviral, and an immunomodulator, and is currently studying multiple other possible therapeutics. Six VA sites have participated in ACTIV-2.
  • ACTIV-3 is a trial platform for inpatients with COVID-19. It is designed to test neutralizing monoclonal antibody and antiviral treatments in rapid succession. ACTIV-3 has completed trials of four monoclonal antibodies and one antiviral, and is enrolling participants for testing of a new antiviral. ACTIV-3 trials are also investigating patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia, the drugs aviptadil and remdesivir alone or in combination as a COVID-19 treatment, and strategies for post-COVID-19 illness vaccination. Twenty VA sites have enrolled patients in ACTIV-3 studies.
• CDC SUPERNOVA—In partnership with the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, VA has undertaken the Surveillance Platform for Enteric and Respiratory Infectious Organisms at the VA (SUPERNOVA) project. A network of five VA medical centers is conducting active and passive surveillance for acute gastroenteritis, a symptom of COVID-19 and other illnesses. Monitoring includes both laboratory-confirmed testing for SARS-CoV-2 and norovirus, as well as electronic health system data from patients’ charts. The project will help track pathogen distribution over time.
• Trials with industry—VA took part in a number of industry-sponsored studies of promising medications for COVID-19. These included, for example, studies of the drug tocilizumab with Hoffman-La Roche, and sarilumab with Regeneron. Both drugs are used in arthritis care and block an inflammatory protein known as IL-6.
• Remdesivir trial with NIH—VA sites took part in a randomized, placebo-controlled study of remdesivir and other medications for hospitalized patients with COVID-19, sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health.
• PURIFY blood filter technology—Scientists with VA, DOD, and partner institutions are testing a new technology called the Seraph 100 blood filter that may be able to filter out viral particles and harmful molecules from the bloodstreams of COVID-19 patients. The PURIFY program is a four-part, multi-site clinical evaluation that involves 13 participating sites across the U.S., including one VA medical center. Preliminary data suggests that severely ill patients treated with the Seraph filter had lower mortality rates than other patients.

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Observational studies

• Natural history study—VA is collaborating with the Department of Defense on an observational, natural history study of COVID-19 illness titled “Epidemiology, Immunology and Clinical Characteristics of COVID-19” (EPIC³). Researchers are collecting data and biospecimens from volunteers for up to two years to better understand the clinical course of COVID-19. The study also aims to establish repositories of clinical data and specimens, along with a participant registry, to support future studies of COVID-19 and other health conditions. Recruitment at up to 16 sites began in July 2020.
• COVID-19 and cancer—The National Cancer Institute COVID-19 in Cancer Patients Study, or NCCAPS, is a natural history study of COVID-19 in people with cancer. In a natural history study, researchers follow people and collect medical and other information about them over time to learn more about how a disease and its symptoms develop and change. Diagnosis and treatment of a disease are not part of natural history studies. The knowledge gained through this study will help doctors better manage treatment for people with cancer and COVID-19 in the future. As part of the NCCAPS study, researchers will collect blood samples, medical information, and medical images from 2,000 people with cancer who also have COVID-19. Each person will be followed for up to two years to help doctors understand how cancer affects COVID-19 and COVID-19 affects cancer. The study is recruiting volunteers nationwide, including at 11 VA locations.

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Data analysis projects

• COVID-19 Insights Partnership—VA is a key partner in the COVID-19 Insights Partnership, along with the departments of Energy (DOE) and Health and Human Services (HHS). The initiative aims to coordinate and share health data as well as research and expertise to aid in the fight against COVID-19.The Partnership creates a framework for VA and HHS to use DOE’s world-leading high-performance computing and artificial intelligence resources to conduct COVID-19 research and analyze health data.
• Million Veteran Program—VA’s Million Veteran Program (MVP) has deployed a COVID-19 questionnaire to participants to collect information about their experience with COVID-19. In addition, MVP has prioritized a series of research questions to examine the genetic basis of infection by SARS CoV-2; complications of infection; disease severity and outcomes; and response to various medications. MVP is working to identify disease mechanisms and new treatment targets for COVID-19. Given MVP's racially and ethnically diverse participant population (~ 20% African American and 7% Hispanic), the influence of race and ethnicity on disease susceptibility, severity, and outcomes is an integral part of the analyses.
• VA SHIELD—The VA Science and Health Initiative to Combat Infectious and Life-Threatening Diseases (VA SHIELD) is a comprehensive, secure biorepository of specimens and associated data related to COVID-19 and other emerging diseases. The specimens and data are available to authorized investigators to advance scientific understanding and support of developing diagnostic, therapeutic, and preventive strategies for use in clinical care.
• VA SeqCURE—VA SeqCURE, short for VA Sequencing Collaborations United for Research and Epidemiology, is a network of VA research labs funded by the American Rescue Plan of 2021. Five VA sites are included: Cleveland, Durham, Iowa City, Boise, and Temple. The network will generate genetic sequencing data for public health surveillance. Projects under VA SeqCURE will include studying the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines, analyzing antimicrobial-resistance organisms, and working with VA SHIELD to establish protocols for handling biospecimens.
• Synthesizing evidence from publications—Researchers from the HSR&D Evidence Synthesis Program are working to help synthesize publications about the novel coronavirus and COVID-19, and to translate that information quickly into usable guidance for clinicians. The ESP’s completed reports can be found here.
  Additional evidence reviews can be found at www.covid19reviews.org. The goal of this resource is to capture the work of evidence synthesis groups, like VA’s, around the US and the globe, and thereby avoid duplication of effort and maximize the contribution of these researchers. The catalog is maintained by the VA ESP Coordinating Center in Portland, Oregon. New evidence reviews and reviews in progress are identified through literature searching and correspondence with colleagues and content experts. The team has also set up a listserv to facilitate collaboration among systematic review researchers.
• International collaboration—Researchers with the VA Informatics and Computing Infrastructure team are participating in the Observational Health Data Sciences and Informatics (or OHDSI, pronounced "Odyssey") program, an international, interdisciplinary collaborative to maximize the value of health data through large-scale analytics.
• COVID-19 Observational Research Collaboratory (CORC)—A VA research initiative is bringing together VA experts to analyze the use and effects of COVID-19 drugs with clinical partners interested in the safety and efficiency of these therapies. VA’s Health Services Research and Development Service, Clinical Science Research and Development Service, and Cooperative Studies Programestablished the collaboratory soon after the pandemic took hold earlier this year. CORC is conducting a national three-year study of VA inpatients and outpatients diagnosed with COVID-19, compared with matched controls. The study will use electronic health record data and surveys to assess risk factors and long-term symptoms.
• Dementia patients—VA researchers in Providence have funding from the National Institute on Aging to study COVID-19 risk factors and outcomes among Veterans with dementia who live in VA community living centers.

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Other research activities

• COVID-19 and mental health—In addition to studying how to prevent or treat COVID-19, VA is examining the mental health impact of the pandemic. To date, ORD has funded nearly 30 studies looking at mental, behavioral, and social health and COVID-19. Some are new projects focused wholly on COVID-19, whereas others are supplements to existing projects that are broader in scope. The following study titles indicate some of the themes being explored:
  • Inflammatory and Mental Health Sequelae of COVID-19 in Veterans
  • An Integrative Technology Approach to Home-Based Conjoint Therapy for PTSD  
  • Impact of COVID-19 On Mental Health, Relationship Functioning and VA Telemental Health Service Use in a Longitudinal Cohort Study    
  • Impact of COVID-19 and Social Distancing on Mental Health and Suicide Risk in Veterans
  • Piloting a Self-Help Intervention to Improve Veteran Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic
  • Mixed-Methods Pilot Study of the Impacts of Telemental Healthcare for High-Risk Veterans with Opioid Use Disorder During COVID-19
  • Adapting Caring Contacts to Counteract Adverse Effects of Social Distancing among High-Risk Veterans During the COVID-19 Pandemic
  • Virtual Pain Care for High-Risk Veterans on Opioids During COVID-19 (and Beyond)
  • Changes in the Delivery of Evidenced-Based Psychotherapies for Depression and PTSD as the Result of the COVID-19 Pandemic
  • Impacts of COVID-19 on African American Veterans with Chronic Pain
• Biomedical studies—VA biomedical researchers are part of the fight against COVID-19. The following project titles illustrate the scope of the VA lab studies already completed or being conducted to better understand how the virus works, and to identify new ways to keep it from spreading and causing disease.
  • 3D-Printed Respirator Mask Performance with and without Virus Inactivation 
  • A Safe Validation to Test the Efficacy of Disinfectants on Reusable 3D-Printed Face Masks During the COVID-19 Pandemic 
  • Leukocyte Rewiring as a Mechanism of COVID-19-ARDS 
  • Viral and Immune Dynamics of Sars-Cov-2 Infection in Moderate and Severe COVID-
  • Predictive Immune and Airway Monitoring in Healthcare Workers and Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients 
• Boosting the VA supply chain—Rehabilitation researchers are helping to build a more resilient supply chain for VA. Researchers from several centers are involved, such as the Human Engineering Research Laboratories (HERL) in Pittsburgh; the Center for Limb Loss and Mobility at the Puget Sound VA; the Minneapolis Adaptive Design and Engineering Program; and the Advanced Platform Technology Center in Cleveland. Partners in this effort include the VA Innovation Ecosystem, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health, and America Makes. These researchers and their colleagues have been designing, fabricating, and evaluating personal protective equipment (PPE) and other supplies to support VA’s response to this pandemic, such as masks, face shields, desk shields, nasal testing swabs. In many cases, 3D printing is involved.

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COVID-19 work highlighted on HSR&D; site

For a concise overview of current VA Health Services Research and Development (HSR&D;) efforts on COVID-19, visit COVID-19 Efforts.

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Useful links

• VA COVID-19 Research Volunteer List
• Department of Veterans Affairs Public Health
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• COVID-19 Reviews [maintained by VA ESP]

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Questions about the R&D website? Email the Web Team.

Any health information on this website is strictly for informational purposes and is not intended as medical advice. It should not be used to diagnose or treat any condition.