Disclaimer: This is sponsored content. All opinions and views are of UCHealth and does not reflect the same of KOAA.
In this story, we are following up on our last story about a second COVID-19 vaccine trial just launched by UCHealth researchers in northern Colorado. They are recruiting 1,500 participants for the study, who are considered to be a higher risk for exposure to COVID-19.
This exposure risk can be due to work environments or habits and generally includes occupations such as health care worker, teacher, first responder, or grocery store worker.
Carrie Hintzman is a part of this study, and her job as a secretary in the athletic department of a high school is right in line with what UCHealth researchers are looking for. Carrie says, “I work at Fossil Ridge High School (in Fort Collins) and the athletic secretaries have a lot of interaction with teachers, coaches, and kids they come in almost on a daily basis.”
Carrie says the pandemic has had a significant impact on her, and her family. “I have not been able to see my mother, she's 84 years old and is at very high risk. My sister is in an assisted living facility and has been quarantined since it all started, so I've not seen her either. It’s been very difficult to stay home all the time.”
Carrie not only wants to make sure things get back to normal for everyone she wants people to like her to be protected from the virus. “I knew i wanted to do it when I heard about it. I also do have some of the risk factors so it's like - why not?”
Carrie says so far, taking part in this COVID-19 study has been very simple. “Everybody's been great. They asked about my medical background. I've done some basic testing and general physical type things. Shared my medical history and had a blood draw and then the nasal swab. The swab wasn't that bad really, it was for a second but it's really not that bad especially if it's going to help people. Then got the vaccine and it's been easy.”
A number of potential vaccine trial participants will be contacted through UCHealth’s My Health Connection patient portal and invited to enroll in UCHealth’s vaccine trial in northern Colorado.
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