PHOENIX — How many people have been infected with coronavirus in our community? Local officials are working to calculate that number beyond those who have received a positive test result.
Maricopa County Department of Public Health, Arizona State University and Mayo Clinic have partnered to estimate the number of coronavirus infections through a "serosurvey."
Officials say the idea is to get as many people tested for COVID-19 antibodies to better understand the spread and find out who may be immune.
Volunteers from MCDPH and ASU will visit about 500 houses in 29 neighborhoods, between September 12-20, 2020, to invite residents to participate in the free testing.
If interested, residents will be aksed to answer questions about their health and prior exposures to COVID-19 outside their home or at a mobile clinic.
Then, a sample will be collected and tested for COVID-19 antibodies by Mayo Clinic. Participants will receive their test results by phone within 7-14 days of participation.
Officials say all information will be kept confidential, and no government entity outside of public health will receive any information collected in the serosurvey.
Maricopa County Announces COVID-19 Antibody Project. This “Serosurvey” will estimate how much of Maricopa County’s population has been infected with #COVID19. Read more: https://t.co/YDkgZumY8f
— Maricopa County (@maricopacounty) September 2, 2020
In addition, Maricopa County will destroy any specimens collected after the information is analyzed and the information will never be released with identifying information.
To keep volunteers and residents safe, officials say volunteers will wear personal protective equipment (PPE), will not ask to enter residents’ homes, and will follow safety protocols.
For more information on the serosurvey, including how to tell if a person is part of the serosurvey, please visit Maricopa.gov/COVID19serosurvey.
The communities selected to participate in this serosurvey are listed below: