Methodology for a COVID-19 Recovery Surveillance Study Conducted Through an Academic-State Partnership

Area of Science:

• Public Health Surveillance
• Epidemiology
• Health Services Research

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated rapid development of population-based surveillance.
• Understanding the long-term sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection is crucial for public health.
• Michigan faced unique challenges in monitoring the health impacts of COVID-19.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the methodology for a rapid population-based surveillance study.
• To examine the lasting physical, mental, and economic effects of COVID-19 in Michigan adults.
• To establish a model for academic-state collaboration in public health research.

Main Methods:

• Partnership between University of Michigan School of Public Health and Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
• Sequential stratified sampling from the Michigan Disease Surveillance System for PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 cases.
• Multimodal surveys (online, telephone) in English, Spanish, and Arabic from 2020-2022, with sampling weights and nonresponse bias analysis.

Main Results:

• A total of 5,521 adults completed the baseline survey, with a response rate of 32.1%.
• Telephone surveys were essential in Detroit (67.1%), demonstrating the need for multimode approaches.
• Weighted sample analysis indicated minimal nonresponse bias.

Conclusions:

• The academic-state partnership yielded timely, unique insights into long COVID's effects.
• The study highlighted the necessity of such collaborations due to limited public health resources.
• This approach provides a blueprint for future public health surveillance initiatives.