Susan Banks, RN, is one of HJF’s programmatic support teammates working with the Infectious Disease Clinical Research Program on COVID-19 research. Her worksite is one of many enrolling subjects in the Adaptive COVID-19 Treatment Trial (ACTT). Nine subjects have been enrolled and five subjects have completed the trial. In addition to ACTT, Banks participated in a study looking at the seroprevalence of novel coronavirus antibodies among personnel deployed on the USNS Mercy and her sister ship the USNS Comfort during early months of the pandemic.     

One of the biggest challenges around COVID-19 has been safely interacting with patients and participants, while still providing them with the best care possible. Banks strives to maintain the human aspect of being a nurse, while at the same time adhering to all the restrictions and safety guidelines to protect the patients and herself.   

Ultimately, Banks hopes her efforts on the front lines of the COVID-19 research leads to identifying the ways this virus presents itself as well as to identify the most effective treatments. The goal of the second study is to aid in finding the best ways to test for this virus, which in turn will help the DoD better screen active-duty service members.