SCMG Leading Scripps’ Participation in SEARCH’s COVID-19 Study

As COVID-19 continues, Scripps Clinic Medical Group is participating in study to better understand the incidence of infection in healthcare workers here in San Diego.

Scripps Clinic Medical Group is taking part in the San Diego Epidemiology and Research for COVID-19 Health (SEARCH) Study, a multiple healthcare system clinical investigation undertaken by a collaboration of Rady Children’s Hospital, Rady Children’s Institute for Genomic Medicine, UCSD and Scripps Research Institute. The study seeks to understand the spread and extent of COVID-19 in San Diego among healthcare workers.
SEARCH seeks to define the incidence of COVID infection in health care workers in San Diego. To do so, the trial is acquiring both nasopharyngeal COVID 19 RNA samples as well as serologic samples for identification of antibody response in both high risk and average risk healthcare workers in San Diego. SCGM members Dr. Laura Nicholson and Dr. Chris Marsh are leading the trial at the Scripps campuses.

As of June 11, 2020 greater than 9,000 SD HCW (3481 from Scripps sites) have participated in the study with a Scripps HCW positivity rate of only 0.3%.

The trial is ongoing and will provide further insight into the risk of COVID acquisition by healthcare workers in a large city with moderate COVID rates in its general population.