Clinical Research Directory

Respiratory Outbreak Mitigation in Long-Term Care Using Point-of-Care Testing

Outbreaks of seasonal respiratory viruses can spread rapidly in long-term care homes. Timely results for diagnostic tests remains a challenge for respiratory viruses due to the logistics of using a reference laboratory with delays leading to missed opportunities to implement virus-specific control measures to interrupt transmission resulting in larger outbreaks. Use of a point-of-care testing platform is a potential solution that provides faster results, but it is uncertain whether this translates into benefits for long-term care residents. This trial aims to assess whether rapid test results for respiratory pathogens (Influenza, Coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) and Respiratory Syncytial Virus) can impact the number and size of respiratory virus outbreaks in long-term care homes.

Creating a New Health Promotion Module to Help the Indigenous People of Selangor Prepare for Disease X and Outbreaks

The goal of this cluster randomized trial is to develop and test a new method for preparing indigenous (locally termed as Orang Asli) households in Selangor, a state in Malaysia, for outbreaks and Disease X, a potential unknown infectious threat. It aims to determine if the new method, a health education package comprised of workshops, simulation exercises, and card game play sessions, can enhance the readiness of these families for such outbreaks. The main questions it is looking to answer are: 1. Will the intervention package increase the level of preparedness for a Disease X and outbreaks among indigenous households in Selangor? 2. Will the intervention improve the awareness and attitudes of the indigenous people in Selangor towards outbreak preparedness? 3. Will it lead to more proactive preparedness actions by these households? To evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention package, researchers will compare outcomes between two groups: the intervention group receiving both the intervention package and educational brochures on communicable disease prevention, and the control group receiving only the brochures. Participants will: 1. Participate in the activities in the newly developed intervention package, which would include workshops, simulation exercises, and card game play sessions. 2. Answer surveys four times: before, immediately after, 1 month after and 2 months after the intervention, to measure any changes in their preparedness levels for an outbreak.