eTrueNorth, the U.S.-based healthcare technology company that enables laboratory testing at retail pharmacies and enables all surge drive-through COVID-19 specimen collection sites, will begin proactively communicating with COVID-19 positive individuals to inform them about the possibility of their participation in National Institutes of Health (NIH)'s ACTIV-2 clinical research trial.

The ACTIV-2 research study was established as part of NIH's Accelerating COVID-19 Therapeutic Interventions and Vaccines (ACTIV), a public-private partnership program instituted to speed development of the most promising treatments and vaccines. This study is also receiving support through Operation Warp Speed, the U.S. government's multi-agency effort to develop, manufacture and distribute medical countermeasures to fight COVID-19.

"The ACTIV-2 research trial is important, as its goal is to help individuals recently diagnosed with COVID-19 to recover faster, prevent a worsening of symptoms, and avoid hospitalizations," said Coral May, eTrueNorth's CEO. "In order for this NIH clinical trial to be able to prove medications effective, it needs to recruit COVID-19 patients very soon after their diagnosis. This is difficult. When individuals are told they are COVID-19 positive, their mind is racing with concern for themselves, their family, whom they may have infected, how to quarantine, how to deal with symptoms, and these are just a few of their concerns. We all understand that a COVID-19 diagnosis can be overwhelming."

"Individuals have only seven days from their positive diagnosis to attempt to join the clinical trial. Early communication with potential clinical trial participants is very important.  Our goal is to enroll 1,000 patients into the research trial," said Michael McEntee, eTrueNorth's Chief Science Officer.

Dave Amin, MD, eTrueNorth Chief Medical Officer, who also serves on an Operation Warp Speed taskforce, explained the significance of the company's participation in this study. "It will take private industry and government working together with Americans to fight this pandemic. eTrueNorth can do its part by proactively communicating with individuals who have unfortunately received a positive diagnosis and help them understand just how their participation in clinical studies can help the larger community learn how to fight COVID-19," Amin said.

eTrueNorth is in the forefront of public health initiatives. In early April, eTrueNorth began its participation in the drive-through COVID-19 testing site program in partnership with the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. With some 700 sites across the country, eTrueNorth has responded by enabling more than 1.5 million COVID-19 tests over the last six months alone. In the future, eTrueNorth will continue to support COVID-19 tests, and add antibody tests and eventually coordination of vaccine delivery. eTrueNorth is working to implement its infrastructure for other public health concerns, such as HIV and Hep C testing, as well as for maintenance of chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. Proven strategies and clinical expertise prepare the company to address public health concerns, known and unknown.