Learn more about CRCI outcomes.
BC COVID-19 Biobank Network
The BC COVID-19 Biobank Network (BCCBN) is a provincial network of partner biospecimen collection sites. Biospecimens with annotated data related to COVID-19 are formally coordinated together as one unified resource. The goals of the BCCBN include:
- Collection of remnant biospecimens from multiple hospital sites,
- Prospective collection of biospecimens from COVID+ patients (in hospital and community),
- A catalogue/inventory of biospecimens with processes to enable linkage to clinical information held by the provincial data sources, and
- Access and release of the biospecimens to researchers.
The BCCBN is operational and currently accepting applications. If you are a researcher interested in seeking support for a new project, please email bc.biobanknetwork@ubc.ca.
COVID-19 Consent to Contact Registry Database
A COVID-19 Consent to Contact Registry Database (CCRD) was established to connect researchers with COVID-19 patients through a partnership between the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC), UBC Faculty of Medicine, REACH BC, Michael Smith Health Research BC, Fraser Health, Vancouver Coastal Health, and Genome BC. The CCRD contained contact details for people who have previously tested positive for COVID-19 and gave their consent to be contacted about related research. Qualified researchers were able to access the registry and connect with participants about research opportunities across the province.
The CRCI is no longer accepting applications to access the CCRD.
REACH BC
REACH BC is a provincial online platform that connects British Columbians to health research opportunities. REACH BC is an initiative of BC’s health authorities and partner universities governed under the Clinical Trials BC unit of Michael Smith Health Research BC. REACH BC worked together with the BCCDC to coordinate contacting COVID-19 patients across the province to engage them in health research opportunities.
Post your research study on the REACH BC Directory to engage potential research participants and patient partners.
Post-COVID-19 Recovery Clinics
The Post-COVID-19 Recovery Clinics operated at Vancouver General Hospital, St. Paul’s Hospital, Jim Pattison Outpatient Care and Surgery Centre, and Abbotsford Regional Hospital to provide specialized care and follow-up for COVID-19 patients in recovery. On April 1, 2023, Post-COVID-19 Recovery Clinics consolidated to a province-wide virtual clinic serveing people through B.C.
View information about the Post-COVID-19 Interdisciplinary Clinical Care Network.
COVID-19 Psychosocial Research
The Psychosocial Working Group produced many outcomes, including implementing a psychiatric screener in the Post-COVID-19 Recovery Clinics to identify COVID-19 patients with potential mental health concerns. A psychiatric clinic was established to provide comprehensive psychiatric assessment of COVID-19 patients and to gather information on psychiatric impact of COVID-19. The Psychosocial Working Group also developed a COVID-19 resources website and provided consultation to a number of BC-based research teams on the inclusion of psychosocial outcomes within larger COVID-19 research.
View resources for planning and implementing COVID-19 research projects.
Provincial COVID-19 Research Symposia
The BCCDC and the UBC Faculty of Medicine co-hosted a virtual COVID-19 symposium on April 9, 2020 as an opportunity for the BC research community to hear about current research, enable collaborations, and share resources across the province. In addition, the CRCI Psychosocial Working Group organized a COVID-19 symposium at the Department of Psychiatry research day.
Watch the recording for the virtual BC COVID-19 Symposium held on April 9, 2020.