FAQ

 Why is the Represent ATL study being done?  

  • In the U.S., COVID-19 has affected Black communities more than many other communities. We want to understand the reasons Black people may, or may not, be interested in participating in COVID-19 research.
  • Distrust associated with Black community and medicine makes home testing a great option for testing​, but we lose out on surveillance data.
  • Many people with COVID-19 do not experience symptoms or may choose not to test for some other reason. The results from the home tests tell us about all the COVID-19 infections in a population, not just the ones that are diagnosed. 

Where can I participate?  

  • We will host events to recruit participants throughout Metro-Atlanta. These events will take place at a variety of locations from parks, festivals, schools, grocery stores, churches, businesses, etc.

Am I eligible to participate in Represent ATL?  

To be eligible to participate, you must:  

1) Identify as Black (though can have multiple racial and/or ethnic identities),  2) Be at least 18 years old,  3) Speak English, 4) Live in Metro-Atlanta 

What’s the difference between the home antigen test and the PCR test?

  • The home antigen test uses a part of the COVID-19 virus to detect if you are currently infected with the virus, whereas the PCR test amplifies a specific part of the virus’ genome to determine if you are currently infected. Home antigen tests can be less sensitive when dealing with early infection, which is why a PCR test is recommended for confirmatory results.

Who will have access to my COVID-19 PCR test results?  

  • WREN Laboratories, LLC will have access to the results of your PCR test.  
  • WREN labs is required by law to report all positive results and negative NAAT (nucleic acid amplification test) results of COVID-19 diagnostic and screening tests that they perform to the appropriate state or local public health department.
  • The researchers on our team will have access to your PCR test results, but we will receive them from the laboratory without your name or any other identifying information. Your test results will only be communicated to us with a study number, not your name.  
  • YOU will have access to your COVID-19 PCR test results by registering with WREN labs.

Will I get study findings? How? When?  

  • We will be sharing our findings with community members through our Community Advisory Board members at the conclusion of our study.  We will also use our social media platforms to report key findings from our research.

Will I be paid for taking part in this study?  

  • We appreciate your time and effort in taking part in our study. We will compensate you for your time and for completed study activities with gift card(s).    

What if I’m not eligible?  

  • Because of our study design, we will not be able to offer COVID-19 home tests or surveys to people who are not eligible to participate.  

What are my rights as a research participant? 

  • Prior to agreeing to participate in our Represent ATL study you will have a detailed discussion with the study staff to assist with making an informed decision about whether you want to join the study or not. Agreeing to participate in our study means that you are agreeing to letting us use your personal health information until the end of the study. You have the right to say that you do not want us to use your personal health information after we have collected it. If you decide you do not want us to use your information anymore you must write a letter asking us not to use your information (140 Decatur St SE, Atlanta, GA 30303). You will need to send the letter to the researcher who received your test result or the study’s Principal Investigators (Heather Bradley and Natasha DeVeauuse-Brown). We want to let you know that because test results do not have your name or address on them, we might not know which test result is yours. If you do not want us to use your information anymore, we will stop using it, but any information that we have already used in the study will not be removed 

Where can I go for additional information?