General introduction 23 1 durable and nuanced (with multiple sub-categories)[69]. The change in terminology used reflects our recognition in moving away from the terms ‘Western’ and ‘non-Western’ and towards the new categorisation by geographical region[70]. Many other studies on migration background in Amsterdam have chosen to override these overly broad classifications altogether and rather categorize individuals with a migration background according to the most common countries of origin (such as Ghana, Turkey, Morocco, Suriname[71-73]), in order to identify unique characteristics of each community. The RECoVERED Cohort Study Study background As the first wave of COVID-19 was unfolding in the Netherlands, researchers at the PHSA and the Amsterdam Universities Medical Centres (AUMC) had the foresight to realise that setting up a prospective cohort study of COVID-19 patients at all levels of disease severity would be the most rigorous way to investigate sequelae of this new disease. The PHSA and AUMC had extensive experience in the running of large collaborative cohort studies (such as the Amsterdam Cohort Studies on HIV[74] and the Healthy Life in an Urban Setting [HELIUS][75]), including biobanking. After securing funds, facilitated by rapid funding opportunities from the government-funded Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development (ZonMw), and gaining ethical approval from the local medical ethical board, the first study participant was enrolled in the RECoVERED Cohort Study on 11 May 2020. Study aims The overall aims of the RECoVERED study were to identify the viro-immunological, clinical and psychosocial sequelae of COVID-19. As knowledge of COVID-19 grew within the scientific community, specific sub-objectives with direct practical implications were additionally identified. For instance, determining the occurrence of ‘long COVID’ in our cohort and identifying baseline risk factors became a research priority once the first reports of the condition came to light. In addition, RECoVERED served as a platform through which to determine the immunological effect of COVID-19 vaccination in those with naturally-acquired immunity from previous infection[76], which was an urgent research gap during the COVID-19 vaccination campaign and led to adjustment of the national vaccination guidelines[77]. The rich dataset created through the collection of biological samples, measurement of clinical parameters such as lung function tests, and completion of numerous validated sociopsychosocial questionnaires allowed for this adaptability (Figure 1.5).
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