Press release
Wednesday, September 15, 2021
The National Institutes of Health awarded nearly $ 470 million to build a national study population of several volunteer researchers and to support large-scale studies on the long-term effects of COVID-19. The NIH REsearching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER) initiative awarded the top prize to Langone Health of New York University (NYU), New York City, which will award multiple sub-prizes to more than 100 researchers from more than 30 institutions and will serve as RECOVERY the core of clinical science. This important new award at NYU Langone supports new studies on COVID-19 survivors and leverages existing large long-term cohort studies with an expansion of its research focus. This combined population of participants in new and existing cohort research, called meta-cohort, will be part of the RECOVER cohort. This funding was supported by the American Rescue Plan.
NIH launched the RECOVER initiative to find out why some people have prolonged symptoms (called long COVIDs) or develop new or returning symptoms after the acute phase of infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The most common symptoms include pain, headaches, fatigue, “brain fog,” shortness of breath, anxiety, depression, fever, chronic cough, and sleep problems.
“We know that some people have had their lives completely affected by the major long-term effects of COVID-19,” said NIH Director Francis S. Collins, MD, Ph.D. “These studies will aim to determine the cause and find much-needed answers to prevent this often debilitating condition and help those suffering suffer towards recovery.”
RECOVER cohort data will include clinical information, laboratory testing, and analysis of participants in various stages of recovery after SARS-CoV-2 infection. With immediate access to data from existing and diverse study populations, it is anticipated that researchers will be able to accelerate the timing of this important research.
“This scientifically rigorous approach launches a collaborative, multidisciplinary research community that includes several research participants who are critical to reporting on the treatment and prevention of the long-term effects of COVID-19,” said Gary H Gibbons, MD, director of NIH’s National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute and one of the co-chairs of the RECOVER initiative.
Researchers, people affected by a long COVID, and representatives of advocacy organizations worked together to develop RECOVER master protocols that use standardized study designs and research methods to allow for a uniform assessment of study populations across studies and the ability to quickly pivot the focus of research based on what the findings show. This approach allows for the harmonization of data between research studies and study populations. Data harmonization allows data to be compared and analyzed, which will facilitate the research process and provide more robust findings.
Studies will include adult, pregnant, and pediatric populations; enroll patients during the acute and postacute phases of SARS-CoV-2 infection; assess tissue pathology; analyze data from millions of electronic medical records; and use mobile health technologies, such as smartphone apps and portable devices, that will collect real-world data in real time. Taken together, these studies are expected to provide information over the coming months on many important issues, including the incidence and prevalence of long-term effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection, the range of symptoms, underlying causes, factors risk, outcomes, and potential treatment and prevention strategies.
“Given the extent of symptoms that have been reported, intensive research is needed to use all available tools to understand what happens to slow the recovery of this terrible virus. It is important to note that tissue pathology studies at RECOVER will allow in-depth study of the effects of the virus on all body systems, ”said Walter J. Koroshetz, MD, director of the NIH National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. one of the co-chairs of RECOVER.
Announcements of research opportunities were published in February 2021 and in June the awards were announced for launching the RECOVER clinical science core and the data resource core. The Mayo Clinic has also been awarded a prize in support of a RECOVER biorepository nucleus for approximately $ 40 million to collect, conserve, and distribute a complete source of clinical specimens for additional research studies. The cores provide coordination and infrastructure for the RECOVER Initiative, including support for the activities of the consortium of researchers and ensuring that all data is harmonized and shared among researchers. In May and June, short-term awards were given to more than 30 institutions to develop the master protocols.
These awards pave the way for a greater understanding of the long-term effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection and allow researchers to identify possible interventions and preventive strategies.
Regarding the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS): NINDS is the leading national funder of research on the brain and nervous system. The mission of NINDS is to seek basic knowledge about the brain and nervous system and use that knowledge to reduce the burden of neurological diseases. For more information, visit www.ninds.nih.gov.
About the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI): NHLBI is the world leader in conducting and supporting research into heart, lung, and blood diseases and sleep disorders that advance scientific knowledge, improve public health, and save lives. For more information, visit www.nhlbi.nih.gov.
Regarding the National Institutes of Health (NIH):
NIH, the country’s medical research agency, includes 27 institutes and centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the leading federal agency that conducts and supports basic, clinical, and translational medical research and investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.
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