Maximizing Safety in the Conduct of Alzheimer's Disease Fluid Biomarker Research in the Era of COVID-19.

Schindler, Suzanne E; Jicha, Gregory A; Nelson, Peter T; Keene, C Dirk; Blennow, Kaj; Molinuevo, José Luis; Masters, Colin L; Hansson, Oskar; Teunissen, Charlotte E; Galasko, Douglas; Shaw, Leslie M; Levey, Allan I

The Corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic led to an abrupt halt of many Alzheimer's disease (AD) research studies at sites spanning the world. This is especially true for studies requiring in-person contact, such as studies collecting biofluids. Since COVID-19 is likely to remain a threat for an extended period, the resumption of fluid biomarker studies requires the development and implementation of procedures that minimize the risk of in-person visits to participants, staff, and individuals handling the biofluid samples. Some issues to consider include structuring the visit workflow to minimize contacts and promote social distancing; screening and/or testing participants and staff for COVID-19; wearing masks and performing hand hygiene; and precautions for handling, storing, and analyzing biofluids. AD fluid biomarker research remains a vitally important public health priority and resuming studies requires appropriate safety procedures to protect research participants and staff.