Dr. Vett Lloyd (courtesy Mount Allison University)
What will the long-term health effects and possible complications be for COVID-19 patients?
A study by researchers at Mount Allison University is now underway to find out.
Biology professor Dr. Vett Lloyd and her students began the project by launching an online survey last fall.
“We are learning more about this virus, and its variants, every day,” says Lloyd.
“Considering how many people have already been affected, and how many more will become infected as the pandemic continues, learning more about the long-term effects of COVID-19 is essential in measuring its full impact on people’s health globally.”
The team seeks those who have or had COVID-19 to learn more about their experience and recovery process.
The long-term study will also serve as a baseline to collect data from individuals in areas with higher risks of exposure including health care workers, educators and community frontline workers such as grocery store employees.
The survey is open to all individuals who have experienced COVID-19, with an emphasis on residents in New Brunswick and Ontario.
Even those unaffected who may be at risk of COVID are welcome to participate.
In only a few weeks, Lloyd’s team has already had more than 200 respondents.
Researchers hope to report on their initial findings within a year.
The study is funded in part by the New Brunswick Innovation Foundation (NBIF) in partnership with the New Brunswick Health Research Foundation (NBHRF) and the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA).
