Random testing for COVID-19 will begin on Saturday throughout the state. The Indiana State Department of Health has partnered with the Indiana University Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health on a scientific study to get a clearer picture of COVID-19’s spread.
Dr. Nir Menachemi is the study’s principal investigator. During state officials’ COVID-19 press conference Thursday, he noted that up until now, testing has mainly been limited to those who are sick or at a high risk. “What we don’t know is how bad each community in our state is infected or has been infected,” he explained. “Again, if we’re only testing people with the most serious symptoms, it seems like we’re only looking at the tip of the iceberg. What our study allows us to do is look below the water and see the entire iceberg and try to get a sense of how large it is and how it’s affecting different communities, perhaps, differently.”
Here’s how it’ll work: Between Saturday and Wednesday, health officials plan to test between 5,000 and 7,000 Hoosiers. They’ve been selected to provide an accurate representation of the entire state, based on sex, race, ethnicity, and geography. The drive-through test will include both a nasal swab to test for active viral infection and a blood test to check for antibodies. Menachemi said preliminary results should be available in a matter of days. Additional phases will be conducted in late May, October, and next April.
Governor Eric Holcomb said the study will be part of the state’s data-driven approach to figuring out how and when to reopen the state. “This is exactly the kind of Hoosier innovative thinking and action that we’re known for,” Holcomb said, “and as I understand it, not only are we one of the first in the country to do this, but I would put this study and project, in terms of thoroughness, up against any other project that we’ve been looking at around the country.”
State Health Commissioner Dr. Kris Box encouraged those who are contacted to agree to take part, to help provide an accurate representation of the state’s residents.
