Dartmouth College and UNH Survey Center
Researchers at Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine have initiated an “emergency” COVID-19 community survey in New Hampshire, which launched Friday April 3rd, 2020 in collaboration with the University of New Hampshire (UNH) Survey Center. In the absence of readily available laboratory testing, the survey will track the progress of the COVID-19 outbreak in New Hampshire and factors associated with transmission.
Designed to be completed via computer or smart phone, the online survey was sent to the Granite State Panel—a cohort of nearly 3,400 New Hampshire residents selected randomly over the past year who have agreed to participate in statewide research through the UNH Survey Center. In addition to tracking daily symptoms, the study is gathering other important data such as factors associated with household transmissions, how often people practice hand sanitizing and social distancing, how often they leave their homes to do shopping or other activities, and how using supplements like vitamin D and probiotics may influence symptoms.
The project is led by Dr. Judy Rees of the Department of Epidemiology at the Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, and Dr. Tracy Keirns, Assistant Director of the Survey Center at the University of New Hampshire. This project is supported by emergency funding from The Hitchcock Foundation, the Jack and Dorothy Byrne Foundation, Dartmouth College COVID-19 "Spark" funding, and in-kind support by UNH Survey Center staff.
Members of the Granite State Panel were specifically invited because they are thought to be representative of the state as a whole. The UNH Survey Center will be following the Granite State Panel cohort during this health crisis and releasing more reports in coming weeks both here and on the UNH Survey center website.
Timeline
March 20 Rees & Keirns decide to move ahead with the study
March 21 The Hitchcock Foundation agrees to finance the study
March 21-31 Survey development
April 1 Approval by the Committee for the Protection of Human Subjects
April 3 Baseline survey launched
April 5 Baseline survey closed, daily survey launched.
April 9 Baseline Results Published
April 15 Employment 1 Results Published
April 19 Dartmouth College Spark funding notice received
May 7 Health Results Published
May 11 Employment 2 Results Published
May 18 Stress 1 Results Published
May 26 Testing Results Published
June 10 Testing 2 Results Published
June 10 Jack and Dorothy Byrne Foundation funding received
June 15 Stress 2 Results Published
June 16 Social Distancing Results Published