COVID in Kids

Our goal

The purpose of the Alberta Childhood COVID-19 Cohort (AB3C) research study is to measure immunity against COVID-19 infections in children over time, understand how children’s immune systems react to the COVID-19 virus and determine the clinical impact of COVID-19 infections in children across Alberta.

Who can participate?

Your child is eligible to participate if they:

· Are less than 18 years old
and

· Live in or near Calgary, Alberta
and

· May have had a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19
or

· May have been tested for COVID-19
or

· Are healthy and have not been tested or diagnosed with COVID-19

Alberta Children's Hospital Front Entrance

What does the study involve?

Visits to the Alberta Children’s Hospital in Calgary for testing to measure blood antibody levels against the COVID-19 virus (SARS-CoV-2).

There are two ways to participate:

· Option 1 will involve blood testing for antibody levels every 6 months (4 times in total) over 18 months

· Option 2 will involve blood testing for antibody levels and other immune and genetic testing in blood, nasal, urine and stool samples, performed once.

Children will be welcome to participate in both or either options.

Background

Children appear to be at lower risk than adults of getting very sick with COVID-19. But more children than we realize may get infected with very mild symptoms or no symptoms at all and may infect others in their community. The purpose of the AB3C study is to determine how many children with and without known COVID-19 infections have made an immune response (blood antibodies) over time and how long the immune response lasts. We will also do more extensive genetic testing and testing of the immune system with some children. Finally we will look at the clinical impact of COVID-19 infections in children across Alberta.

Learn more about our study

This study has been approved by the University of Calgary's Conjoint Health Research Ethics Board (CHREB). Ethics ID: REB20-0480

Cette étude a été approuvée par le Comité conjoint d'éthique de la recherche en santé de l'Université de Calgary, Ethics ID: REB20-0480

The AB3C study is supported by Alberta Health Services (AHS), Alberta Precision Laboratories-Public Health, the University of Calgary, and the Alberta Children’s Hospital, and is funded by Genome Alberta, Alberta Health, and the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation through the Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute (ACHRI).