Skip to main content

About the Initiative

Taking a united approach toward recovery

What is RECOVER?

A patient-centered, integrated, adaptive research network
National scale inclusive participation; patient-centered patient perspective; adaptive approach, emerging science; and platform protocols, common data elements all combine to reach the goal: predict, treat, prevent Long COVID/PASC

National Scale, Inclusive Participation

Findings from each RECOVER study type inform the other RECOVER studies to accelerate our understanding of Long COVID. RECOVER studies are national in scale and inclusive in participation, involving tens of thousands of people, hundreds of research investigators, and millions of electronic health records.

Patient-Centered, Patient Perspective

It is critical for RECOVER to be shaped by the perspective of patients. This allows us to center patients in the research process and understand why COVID-19 impacts people in different ways. RECOVER research represents the contributions of many people, their families, and caregivers.

Adaptive Approach, Emerging Science

The RECOVER Initiative was created specifically to address the widespread and diverse impacts of Long COVID. Only through a multidisciplinary, large-scale approach can we address the complexity of Long COVID and find solutions for everyone. With a study of this size and diversity, each of the research components must be compatible.

Platform Protocols, Common Data Elements

RECOVER research findings are also compatible across all RECOVER studies. Study protocols are the same for each study type at each RECOVER research site. In this way, RECOVER researchers can learn from each other’s research and get more answers about Long COVID more quickly.

Scientific Aims

01

Understand the range of recovery and changes in our bodies over time.

02

Define risk factors, number of people getting Long COVID, and if there are specific, different Long COVID types.

03

Study how Long COVID progresses over time and how that may relate to other illnesses.

04

Identify possible treatments to help with Long COVID symptoms.

How Does it Work?

Research Components & Information Exchange

RECOVER is unprecedented in its size and scope and includes one of the largest and most diverse cohorts of Long COVID patients in the world. RECOVER is studying a collection of more than 60 million electronic health records for insights about those who received care during the pandemic. We’re enrolling 20,000 adults, pregnant people, and children in cohort studies and leveraging existing community-based studies to include 60,000 more people in RECOVER.

Graphic showing the interaction of the RECOVER project's Research Components and Information Exchange

Patients, Caregivers, Community Representatives, Work Groups, Governance Committees

These groups all contribute to how RECOVER works.

Data Harmonization and Sharing

Four concepts interact to integrate the information gained from the groups into the overall RECOVER project.

Learning from People

This includes information from Clinical Study Groups, Tissue Pathology/Autopsy, and Community-based Study Groups.

Clinical Science

This includes information from Pathobiology.

Real World Data

This includes information from Electronic Health Records and Mobile Health/Digital App.

Studying Treatments

This receives data and information from the other components and integrates that knowledge gained into Clinical Trials.

Patients, Caregivers, Community Representatives, Work Groups, and Governance Committees all contribute to Data Harmonization and Sharing
The 'Learning from People' component integrates with Clinical Science and Real World Data to inform Studying Treatments

Learning from People

  • Clinical Study Groups
  • Tissue Pathology/Autopsy
  • Community-based Study Groups
The 'Clinical Science' component integrates with Learning from People and Real World Data to inform Studying Treatments

Clinical Science

  • Pathobiology
The 'Real World Data' component integrates with Learning from People and Clinical Science to inform Studying Treatments

Real World Data

  • Electronic Health Records
  • Mobile Health/Digital App
The 'Studying Treatments' component integrates information from Learning from People, Clinical Science, and Real World Data

Studying Treatments

  • Clinical Trials

RECOVER is combining what we learn from studies of people and real-world health data with findings from clinical science studies. Combining this data will help us understand what’s happening in the body when people have Long COVID. RECOVER data includes more than 40 pathobiology studies on more than 50 types of tissues, and studies of autopsies and tissue pathology.

We are using the findings from each of these study types and from patient experiences to inform 5 integrated platform clinical trials. The clinical trials will identify possible treatments to help with Long COVID symptoms.

Explore the different RECOVER research components.

Progress to Date

One of the largest and most diverse cohorts of Long COVID patients in the world

Insights on who has Long COVID, risk factors, impacts, and disparities (from EHR studies)

Increased understanding of Long COVID patient symptom burdens to inform clinical trials

Insights from participants in observational clinical studies inform clinical trials

What's to Come

More progress toward goal to predict, treat, and prevent Long COVID. Explore research findings in publications

Research findings in plain language. View easy to understand summaries of publications

Evaluate treatments through clinical trials

Compare and validate EHR findings with other real-world data

Patient registry to inform, improve, and accelerate clinical trials

Wearable sensor data for real-time monitoring

Back to Top