The goal of WU350 cohort is to address the many complexities of the COVID-19 pandemic. Among the 332 COVID-19 cases, ~90% were symptomatic patients, 93.7% were hospitalized, 46.7% with ICU admission, 24.7% on ventilation, and 19.0% died due to COVID-19 (82 ventilated and 63 died; 44 of the deceased had been ventilated prior to death). COVID-19 patients were 59 years old on average, 58.7% men and 67.8% of African American ancestry.

A total of 150 age-, sex-, and race-matched non-COVID-19 samples were used as controls. Controls samples were collected from the Charles F. and Joanne Knight Alzheimer Disease Research Center (Knight-ADRC), at Washington University in St. Louis. The Knight-ADRC is one of 30 ADRCs funded by NIH. The goal of this collaborative research effort is to advance AD research with the ultimate goal of treatment or prevention of AD.