VA COVID-19 Observational Research Collaboratory (CORC)

Mission

To improve Veteran’s health by conducting and supporting rigorous research to understand the long-term effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection while fostering research collaborations within and outside of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Aims

Coordinating Center (CC)

The 3 pillars of the CC are a Data Core, Methods Core, and Partnerships Core, which will work together to carry out the following aims:

• CC-Aim 1: Develop a data infrastructure to support dynamic analytic datasets of SARS-CoV-2 infected and uninfected comparator cohorts that will facilitate research on a broad range of VHA health record-based outcomes
• CC-Aim 2: Generate and disseminate documentation of matched comparators, exposures, outcomes, and covariates
• CC-Aim 3: Provide methodologic guidance and support to VA investigators and operational partners
• CC-Aim 4: Understand the medical and non-medical effects of SARS-CoV-2 by comparing clinical, economic, and patient- reported outcomes between SARS-CoV-2 infected and uninfected VHA patients
• CC-Aim 5: Describe incidence and predictors of key long-term adverse outcomes and manifestations of SARS-CoV-2 infection

Long-Term Outcome Study (LTO)

The LTO will be responsible for carrying out a rigorous mixed methods study of the long-term effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection on Veterans, with support from the CC. By triangulating a range of data sources, the LTO will:

• LTO-Aim 1: Compare VHA patients infected and uninfected with SARS-CoV-2 on outcomes that can be measured in electronic health records and claims datasets, such as mortality, hospital readmissions, new and exacerbated conditions, and new mental health conditions
• LTO-Aim 2: Compare VHA patients infected and uninfected by SARS-CoV-2 on veteran-reported outcomes, including as self-reported symptoms, disability, informal caregiving receipt, and financial impacts
• LTO-Aim 3: Elicit Veteran experiences of recovery after SARS-CoV-2 infection through semi-structured interviews
• LTO-Aim 4: Estimate current and future health system needs to address long-term effects of SARS-CoV-2

For more information on VA research projects related to COVID-19: https://www.research.va.gov/covid-19.cfm

Participating in Research

Anyone over the age of 18, including Veterans, their friends and family of Veterans, and VA staff can participate in VA national COVID-19 research efforts by registering at www.va.gov/coronavirus-research.

Collaborating VA Medical Centers

Primary

• Center for Clinical Management Research (CCMR); Ann Arbor, MI
• Center for Innovation to Accelerate Discovery and Practice Transformation (ADAPT); Durham, NC
• Center to Improve Veteran Involvement in Care (CIVIC); Portland, OR
• Center for Innovation for Veteran-Centered and Value-Driven Care; Seattle, WA and Denver, CO
• Seattle Epidemiologic Research and Information Center

Additional Locations

1. Palo Alto VA HSRD Center for Innovation to Implementation (Ci2i): Thomas Osborne
2. West Haven VA Clinical Epidemiology Research Center (CERC). Mihaela Aslan

Data Resources/Collaborators

• CIPHER
• MVP
• EPIC3
• COPE-VA
• VIReC
• VINCI
• HSR&D Collaborative Merits



CORC provides support to the HSR&D/CSR&D Collaborative Merits. We are proud to partner with these projects to improve care of Veterans with Long-COVID:

1. Leverage Knowledge of Chronic Multisymptom Illness to Improve Care for Veterans | Principal Investigators: Drs. Lisa McAndrew and Shannon Nugent
2. Covid Post-Exposure Evaluation and Symptomatology (COPES) Center: Identifying Post-COVID Phenotypes and Related Health Inequities | Principal Investigators: Drs. April Mohanty and Sara Knight
3. Covid Post-Exposure Evaluation and Symptomatology (COPES) Center | Principal Investigators: Drs. Matthew Samore, Mary Jo Pugh, and Adam Gordon
4. Genetic predictors, pathophysiological mechanisms, and functional consequences of post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2: Exercise challenge of gut microbiome and neuroinflammation in PASC | Principal Investigators: Drs. Dane Cook and Jacob Lindheimer

Funding

The CORC is supported by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Primary funding comes from:

• HSR&D grant C19 21-278 (Coordinating Center)
• HSR&D grant C19 21-279 (LTO)

Additional support comes from the following sources:

• C19 20-208 (Hynes)
• CSR&D grant COVID19-8900-11 (Ioannou)
• CSR&D grant COVID19-8990-19 (Boyko)
• RCS 21-136 (Hynes)
• RCS 10-391 (Maciejewski)
• CIN 13-410 (Maciejewski)
• CSP#2038 COPE-VA - COVID-19 Pharmacotherapy Effectiveness (Co-Chairs: Bajema and Ioannou; CERC Director: Mihaela Aslan)

Contact

For any questions about CORC and our website, please contact Natalya Wawrin at Natalya.Wawrin@va.gov.

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Any health information on this website is strictly for informational purposes and is not intended as medical advice. It should not be used to diagnose or treat any condition.