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The Texas Coronavirus Antibody REsponse Survey, or Texas CARES, is a survey that is helping us better understand the human antibody response to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. More than 90,000 Texans ages 6 months to 90 years old have volunteered to take part since September 2020. Over multiple time points, survey participants have helped us measure things like how many people in the survey have COVID-19 antibodies and how long those antibodies last. Building our understanding of how COVID-19 impacts families in Texas over time can then help shape local and state responses — and identify any new or emerging needs related to long COVID and ongoing social or economic impacts.
To identify what percent of the Texas population has antibodies in their blood, we use two serology tests, also known as antibody tests. One serology test, called the total antibody test, looks for antibodies in the blood made in response to natural SARS-CoV-2 infection. A separate serology test called the Roche S-test is also used to test for the presence of spike-protein antibodies, which are the antibodies arising from natural infection or vaccination against COVID-19. Serology results are especially important for detecting previous infections in people who had few or no symptoms.
We review the results of the serology tests, along with responses to a series of surveys that help us understand what things could contribute to people's differences in COVID-19 symptoms and diagnosis. We are now looking at social, behavioral and economic impacts of COVID-19 in communities across the state of Texas.
Since the project started, we have been working on sharing the data. While the data collection is ongoing, we share and update the data we have on the Texas CARES dashboard. You can view more information about the data, including some of the survey limitations, on the dashboard webpage .
Click the image to view an up-to-date version of the dashboard.