The study examines the use and efficacy of at-home COVID-19 testing.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — UMass Chan Medical School is partnering with Curai Health to provide virtual care to participants enrolled in a study investigating how at-home antigen and molecular tests compare to lab-based PCR tests in detecting the current variants of SARS-CoV-2 and influenza A/B viruses.
Adult study participants who test positive for COVID-19 or the flu can access free virtual care visits with Curai. Participants will be able to seek medical care for COVID-19 or the flu, as well as receive care for other medical needs.
“The pandemic brought profound changes in all of our expectations for at-home testing and virtual care, and yet there’s still a lot of confusion about what you should do if you test positive for COVID-19,” said Neal Khosla, CEO and cofounder of Curai Health. “We’re proud to partner with UMass Chan to provide participants with the convenient, high-quality care they need to recover at home.”
The UMass Self-Testing for Our Protection from COVID-19 (STOP COVID-19) Research Study, funded by the National Institutes of Health, aims to advance the understanding of how rapid antigen tests perform in comparison to PCR tests in detecting COVID-19 after the onset of symptoms. Study participants enroll for up to 16 weeks and perform home-based antigen tests as well as collections for PCR tests once they develop symptoms. Participants log their symptoms in a virtual diary, complete questionnaires, and provide information about their experience through an app called MyDataHelps supported by Care Evolution, LLC. Researchers also track participants’ symptoms with wearable data sensors to detect the virus.
“Improving at-home testing for COVID-19 is an important first step, but it needs to be paired with getting clinical care because these respiratory viruses still cause significant disease and deaths. Rapid access to a clinician that can prescribe the appropriate treatment is necessary but often hard for patients, especially if they are self-isolating,” said Apurv Soni, MD, PhD’21, assistant professor of medicine and co-director of the Program in Digital Medicine at UMass Chan Medical School. Dr. Soni is the study’s principal investigator. “With Curai, our participants will have the option to either seek care on their own or instantaneously receive quality virtual care from the safety and convenience of their home.”
As the pioneer in deploying machine learning into clinical workflows, Curai partners with health plans and health systems to keep patients engaged in their care over time, improving health outcomes and reducing costs. Since its founding in 2017, Curai Health has delivered on-demand, affordable, and high-quality virtual primary and urgent care. Curai Health uses AI to superpower patient care teams that are led by dedicated, specially trained, licensed clinicians. By combining the expertise of clinicians with the efficiencies of artificial intelligence, Curai Health delivers a level of care beyond what’s humanly possible.
About Curai Health
Curai Health is a text-first virtual clinic on a mission to democratize access to high-quality, affordable care by leveraging AI. As the pioneer in deploying machine learning into clinical workflows, Curai Health enables its dedicated, specially trained clinicians to deliver primary care to more people at a fraction of the cost. Easy-to-use and convenient, Curai Health partners with insurers and health systems to keep patients engaged in their care over time, improving health outcomes and reducing costs. Backed by leading investors including Morningside Ventures, General Catalyst, and Khosla Ventures, Curai Health has been thoughtfully combining the expertise of clinicians with the efficiencies of artificial intelligence since its founding in 2017. For more information, visit https://www.curaihealth.com/
About UMass Chan Medical School
UMass Chan Medical School, one of five campuses of the University of Massachusetts system, comprises the T.H. Chan School of Medicine, the Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, the Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing, ForHealth Consulting at UMass Chan Medical School, MassBiologics, and a thriving Nobel-Prize-winning biomedical research enterprise. UMass Chan is advancing together to improve the health and wellness of our diverse communities throughout Massachusetts and across the world by leading and innovating in education, research, health care delivery and public service. It is ranked among the best medical schools in the nation for primary care education and biomedical research by U.S. News & World Report. Learn more at www.umassmed.edu.
SOURCE Curai Health
