UMass Chan researchers partner with federal COVID-19 program

A building with a sign that reads "UMass Chan Medical School" behind two trees

PHOTO | Courtesy of UMass Chan Medical School UMass Chan Medical School in Worcester

Write a Comment

By Isabel Tehan

Researchers at UMass Chan Medical School in Worcester are collaborating with the federal Home Test to Treat program for COVID-19 and the flu.

UMass Chan is the research partner for the program, according to a Dec. 14 press release from the medical school. UMass Chan previously worked on the pilot version of the study, which took place in Berks County, Pennsylvania, in collaboration with the National Institutes of Health.

“Every winter, people tend to get respiratory infections. What we’re trying to understand is, can we have a program like this that can give you home-based care without you needing to go into the physician’s office?” principal investigator Dr. Apurv Soni, assistant professor of medicine and co-director of the Program in Digital Medicine at UMass Chan, said in the press release.

The new, broader program is available nationwide, and provides participants with COVID-19 and flu tests, and subsequent telehealth and treatment. The program is free to participants who do not have insurance.

A major goal of the program is to increase availability and access of testing and treatment among vulnerable populations, according to the press release. Community engagement specialists will be part of the program to improve interactions with marginalized populations, a tenet added after the pilot program.

Approximately 60,000 to 70,000 participants are expected to enroll in the Home to Test program.

The program is a product of the NIH, the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in addition to UMass Chan as research partner and Florida health technology firm eMed.