Statewide—During the daily press briefing with Governor Eric Holcomb on Thursday, it was announced that An Indiana University project intends to take nasal swabs and blood samples for coronavirus testing from at least 5,000 Hoosiers ages 12 and older selected at random from around the state. People will be contacted by a postcard, phone, text, or email.
The testing will begin Saturday and researchers could give an early report to state officials within about a week.
Dr. Menachemi, a professor at the IU Fairbanks School of Public Health, says the study allows them to look below the water and see the entire iceberg and try to get a sense of how large it is and how it is affecting different communities. The State’s current testing has largely focused on those who are seriously ill or health-care workers, leading to a lack of information on the overall coronavirus spread, he said.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness. Although state health officials have been updating the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases every day, the actual number of infections is thought to be far higher because many people have not been tested and studies suggest people can be infected without feeling sick.
