Harley John B, Pyarajan Saiju, Partan Elizabeth S, Epstein Lauren, Wertheim Jason A, Diwan Abhinav, Woods Christopher W, Davey Victoria, Blair Sharlene, Clark Dennis H, Kaufman Kenneth M, Khan Shagufta, Chepelev Iouri, Devine Alexander, Cameron Perry, McCann Monica F, Ammons Mary Cloud B, Bolz Devin D, Battles Jane K, Curtis Jeffrey L, Holodniy Mark, Marconi Vincent C, Searles Charles D, Beenhouwer David O, Brown Sheldon T, Moorman Jonathan P, Yao Zhi Q, Rodriguez-Barradas Maria C, Mohapatra Shyam, Molina De Rodriguez Osmara Y, Padiernos Emerson B, McIndoo Eric R, Price Emily, Burgoyne Hailey M, Robey Ian, Schwenke Dawn C, Shive Carey L, Przygodzki Ronald M, Ramoni Rachel B, Krull Holly K, Bonomo Robert A
Research Services, US Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.
Center for Data and Computational Sciences, Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Open Forum Infect Dis. 2022 Dec 14;9(12):ofac641. doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofac641. eCollection 2022 Dec.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has demonstrated the need to share data and biospecimens broadly to optimize clinical outcomes for US military Veterans.
In response, the Veterans Health Administration established VA SHIELD (Science and Health Initiative to Combat Infectious and Emerging Life-threatening Diseases), a comprehensive biorepository of specimens and clinical data from affected Veterans to advance research and public health surveillance and to improve diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities.
VA SHIELD now comprises 12 sites collecting de-identified biospecimens from US Veterans affected by SARS-CoV-2. In addition, 2 biorepository sites, a data processing center, and a coordinating center have been established under the direction of the Veterans Affairs Office of Research and Development. Phase 1 of VA SHIELD comprises 34 157 samples. Of these, 83.8% had positive tests for SARS-CoV-2, with the remainder serving as contemporaneous controls. The samples include nasopharyngeal swabs (57.9%), plasma (27.9%), and sera (12.5%). The associated clinical and demographic information available permits the evaluation of biological data in the context of patient demographics, clinical experience and management, vaccinations, and comorbidities.
VA SHIELD is representative of US national diversity with a significant potential to impact national healthcare. VA SHIELD will support future projects designed to better understand SARS-CoV-2 and other emergent healthcare crises. To the extent possible, VA SHIELD will facilitate the discovery of diagnostics and therapeutics intended to diminish COVID-19 morbidity and mortality and to reduce the impact of new emerging threats to the health of US Veterans and populations worldwide.
由严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒2（SARS-CoV-2）引起的2019冠状病毒病（COVID-19）大流行表明，广泛共享数据和生物样本对于优化美国退伍军人的临床结局很有必要。
作为回应，退伍军人健康管理局设立了VA SHIELD（抗击传染性和新出现的危及生命疾病的科学与健康倡议），这是一个全面的生物样本库，收集受影响退伍军人的样本和临床数据，以推进研究和公共卫生监测，并提高诊断和治疗能力。
VA SHIELD现在包括12个从受SARS-CoV-2影响的美国退伍军人那里收集去识别化生物样本的地点。此外，在退伍军人事务研发办公室的指导下，已设立了2个生物样本库地点、1个数据处理中心和1个协调中心。VA SHIELD的第一阶段包括34157个样本。其中，83.8%的样本SARS-CoV-2检测呈阳性，其余样本作为同期对照。样本包括鼻咽拭子（57.9%）、血浆（27.9%）和血清（12.5%）。可用的相关临床和人口统计学信息允许在患者人口统计学、临床经验与管理、疫苗接种和合并症的背景下评估生物学数据。
VA SHIELD代表了美国的国家多样性，对国家医疗保健具有重大潜在影响。VA SHIELD将支持未来旨在更好地了解SARS-CoV-2和其他新出现的医疗危机的项目。在可能的情况下，VA SHIELD将促进发现旨在降低COVID-19发病率和死亡率以及减少对美国退伍军人和全球人口健康新出现威胁影响的诊断方法和治疗方法。
