CALGARY -- A new tool to help track and fight COVID-19 is being sent out through the mail and you may be one of the 48,000 Canadians chosen for the Statistics Canada survey.

Calgarian Jeff McDougall said he has been cautious throughout the pandemic, never felt sick, and was never swabbed for COVID-19, but then a test kit mysteriously arrived in the mail asking him to take part in the nationwide survey. 

“Surprised and curious about it, but I’m happy to do it,” said McDougall.

It’s not a nose swab that's collected, but a dry blood sample.

Each participant is first asked to fill out an online questionnaire. Upon giving consent, a testing kit is mailed to that person’s address.

The sampling tests sent randomly to Canadians include gloves, a needle, alcohol swabs and a sealable package. Participants are asked to prick their finger and make a print on each of five markings on a dried blood card.

The blood samples will then be sent to the National Microbiology Lab in Winnipeg for analysis, with scientists looking for antibodies indicating a previous COVID-19 infection.

“To provide meaningful data to support policy makers and researchers,” said Erik Dorff an analyst with Statistics Canada. 

The kits are being mailed to random Canadian households selected to capture people in various demographics.

“We’ve got some that are targeted at the oldest in the household, some that are targeted at youngest and some that are targeted on other fashions,” said Dorff.

Scientists hope at least 45 per cent of those selected will participate.

McDougall initially had questions about privacy but Statistics Canada outlined measures in place to protect information.

“Confidentiality isn’t just part of our business, it’s actually a legal obligation,” said Dorff.

McDougall said after learning about the measures he is comfortable taking part.

“Information is king in my mind. As far as COVID goes the more information we have the better we will be as a society," he said.

Anyone who participates will receive their results. 

“I want to know if I’ve been through it and don’t know it too, so this is the only way to find that out,” said McDougall.

Due to the number of COVID-19 cases that go unreported, and the fact that asymptomatic cases may be missed, a survey of this kind is one of the ways health officials are able to get clearer sense of the pandemic in Canada.

The $7-million project will help officials make decisions about restrictions and vaccination schedules.

More than half the kits have been mailed already but the final 22,000 will go out at the end of January. 

The first round of results are expected in mid-February. Further results are expected by April.