TY - JOUR
T1 - The US Department of Veterans Affairs Science and Health Initiative to Combat Infectious and Emerging Life-Threatening Diseases (VA SHIELD)
T2 - A Biorepository Addressing National Health Threats
AU - Harley, John B.
AU - Pyarajan, Saiju
AU - Partan, Elizabeth S.
AU - Epstein, Lauren
AU - Wertheim, Jason A.
AU - Diwan, Abhinav
AU - Woods, Christopher W.
AU - Davey, Victoria
AU - Blair, Sharlene
AU - Clark, Dennis H.
AU - Kaufman, Kenneth M.
AU - Khan, Shagufta
AU - Chepelev, Iouri
AU - Devine, Alexander
AU - Cameron, Perry
AU - Mccann, Monica F.
AU - Ammons, Mary Cloud B.
AU - Bolz, Devin D.
AU - Battles, Jane K.
AU - Curtis, Jeffrey L.
AU - Holodniy, Mark
AU - Marconi, Vincent C.
AU - Searles, Charles D.
AU - Beenhouwer, David O.
AU - Brown, Sheldon T.
AU - Moorman, Jonathan P.
AU - Yao, Zhi Q.
AU - Rodriguez-Barradas, Maria C.
AU - Mohapatra, Shyam
AU - Molina De Rodriguez, Osmara Y.
AU - Padiernos, Emerson B.
AU - Mcindoo, Eric R.
AU - Price, Emily
AU - Burgoyne, Hailey M.
AU - Robey, Ian
AU - Schwenke, Dawn C.
AU - Shive, Carey L.
AU - Przygodzki, Ronald M.
AU - Ramoni, Rachel B.
AU - Krull, Holly K.
AU - Bonomo, Robert A.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 The Author(s). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Infectious Diseases Society of America.
PY - 2022/12/1
Y1 - 2022/12/1
N2 - Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has demonstrated the need to share data and biospecimens broadly to optimize clinical outcomes for US military Veterans. Methods: In response, the Veterans Health Administration established VA SHIELD (Science and Health Initiative to Combat Infectious and Emerging Life-threatening Diseases), a comprehensive biorepository of specimens and clinical data from affected Veterans to advance research and public health surveillance and to improve diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities. Results: VA SHIELD now comprises 12 sites collecting de-identified biospecimens from US Veterans affected by SARS-CoV-2. In addition, 2 biorepository sites, a data processing center, and a coordinating center have been established under the direction of the Veterans Affairs Office of Research and Development. Phase 1 of VA SHIELD comprises 34 157 samples. Of these, 83.8% had positive tests for SARS-CoV-2, with the remainder serving as contemporaneous controls. The samples include nasopharyngeal swabs (57.9%), plasma (27.9%), and sera (12.5%). The associated clinical and demographic information available permits the evaluation of biological data in the context of patient demographics, clinical experience and management, vaccinations, and comorbidities. Conclusions: VA SHIELD is representative of US national diversity with a significant potential to impact national healthcare. VA SHIELD will support future projects designed to better understand SARS-CoV-2 and other emergent healthcare crises. To the extent possible, VA SHIELD will facilitate the discovery of diagnostics and therapeutics intended to diminish COVID-19 morbidity and mortality and to reduce the impact of new emerging threats to the health of US Veterans and populations worldwide.
AB - Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has demonstrated the need to share data and biospecimens broadly to optimize clinical outcomes for US military Veterans. Methods: In response, the Veterans Health Administration established VA SHIELD (Science and Health Initiative to Combat Infectious and Emerging Life-threatening Diseases), a comprehensive biorepository of specimens and clinical data from affected Veterans to advance research and public health surveillance and to improve diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities. Results: VA SHIELD now comprises 12 sites collecting de-identified biospecimens from US Veterans affected by SARS-CoV-2. In addition, 2 biorepository sites, a data processing center, and a coordinating center have been established under the direction of the Veterans Affairs Office of Research and Development. Phase 1 of VA SHIELD comprises 34 157 samples. Of these, 83.8% had positive tests for SARS-CoV-2, with the remainder serving as contemporaneous controls. The samples include nasopharyngeal swabs (57.9%), plasma (27.9%), and sera (12.5%). The associated clinical and demographic information available permits the evaluation of biological data in the context of patient demographics, clinical experience and management, vaccinations, and comorbidities. Conclusions: VA SHIELD is representative of US national diversity with a significant potential to impact national healthcare. VA SHIELD will support future projects designed to better understand SARS-CoV-2 and other emergent healthcare crises. To the extent possible, VA SHIELD will facilitate the discovery of diagnostics and therapeutics intended to diminish COVID-19 morbidity and mortality and to reduce the impact of new emerging threats to the health of US Veterans and populations worldwide.
KW - COVID-19 sequence analysis
KW - Veterans health
KW - biological specimen banks
KW - communicable diseases
KW - data warehousing
KW - government agencies
KW - health policy
KW - public health surveillance
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85153755734&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1093/ofid/ofac641
DO - 10.1093/ofid/ofac641
M3 - Article
C2 - 36601554
AN - SCOPUS:85153755734
SN - 2328-8957
VL - 9
JO - Open Forum Infectious Diseases
JF - Open Forum Infectious Diseases
IS - 12
M1 - ofac641
ER -