Join the PARATROOPers in making a difference!

Thank you for your interest in becoming a PARATROOPer! This page provides some basic information about us, what we do, and how you can join us in the effort to fight Long COVID.

Coordinator Cochair position open

As well as regular members, we’re also looking for a Coordinator Cochair to help organize and lead our work group. Click below to find out more about this volunteer position.

Learn more

Who we are

The ILLInetPARATROOPers are Long COVID sufferers participating in RECOVER, a patient-centered research initiative to understand, treat, and prevent Long COVID.

The ILLInet in our name stands for the Illinois Research Network, one of fourteen hubs in the National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded RECOVER initiative.

The PARATROOPers part of our name is an acronym formed from the phrase PARticipAnT Research wOrk grOuP. We chose this name because we see ourselves as paratroopers on the front lines of the fight to understand, treat, and prevent Long COVID.

Our purpose

We share our thoughts and perspectives as Long COVID sufferers with the ILLInet research team to help them as they design and implement the RECOVER study and clinical trials. Put another way, we give advice to help research be done in a way that meets the needs of patients, caregivers, and families.

How do we do this?

  • We collect information from people involved in the study to understand the patients’ needs.

  • We analyze this information and share it with the ILLInet study team.

  • The study team in turn shares their findings with the PARATROOPers.

  • This feedback loop benefits both patients and researchers to improve the effort to understand, treat, and prevent Long COVID.

What would my responsibilities as a PARATROOPer be?

  • Attend one Zoom meeting a month.

  • Read documents about the RECOVER study findings and share your opinions.

  • Occasionally fill out brief surveys about your experience as a Long COVID patient and PARATROOPer.

I’m interested in helping! What’s next?

Read the Rules of Engagement below, then fill out the short form at the bottom.                 

Rules of engagement

Members of the ILLInetPARATROOPers are expected to:

  • Treat others with dignity and respect at all times.

  • Avoid behavior and comments (written and verbal) that may harass, offend, discriminate, or be unwelcome to others.

  • Actively participate, contribute, and listen to other committee members’ views.

  • Respect views from all committee members, including those with different backgrounds, cultures, education, experiences, and opinions than their own.

  • Not share personal information about a member’s health with anyone outside the ILLInetPARATROOPers.  This is “Protected Health Information” and we want to avoid inadvertent disclosures that are not approved by the patient/participant.