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Coronavirus latest: World’s most comprehensive Covid-19 study starts with 40,000 households from all ethnic backgrounds

Invitations are being posted to 85,000 households

The world’s most comprehensive study of Covid-19 kicks off as researchers begin recruiting more than 40,000 households from all ethnic backgrounds for a neighbourhood “virus watch”.

University College London is sending postcards to 85,000 households across England and Wales inviting them to participate in the 12-month study, which is investigating the spread of coronavirus within communities and how social distancing affects the risk of infection. They hope that 42,500 households will sign up.

Coronavirus latest

Participants will complete regular online symptom surveys and have the option to download a movement tracking app to understand how activities outside of the house affect risk of infection.

A subset of 10,000 will have blood tests to look for antibodies and will submit nose and throat swabs when they are ill allowing the study to assess how long antibodies provide protection against the virus.

Community study

Chief Executive of Legal and General Nigel Wilson is tested for coronavirus alongside other staff from the company ahead of returning to their Head Office in London. PA Photo. Picture date: Tuesday June 2, 2020. Covid Crisis Rescue (CCR), set up in the midst of the pandemic by NHS GP Dr Sharon Raymond, is testing workers returning to offices for Covid-19, in order to minimise the risk of a 'second wave' of the disease. See PA story HEALTH Coronavirus. Photo credit should read: Victoria Jones/PA Wire
Chief Executive of Legal and General Nigel Wilson is tested for coronavirus (Photo: Victoria Jones/PA)

“Virus Watch is the world’s most comprehensive community study of Covid-19 and we want people from all walks of life and ethnic backgrounds to join,” said study leader Professor Andrew Hayward, of UCL.

“The findings will help us understand how the virus spreads through the community, why the disease disproportionately affects some groups and how our immune system protects us from disease,” he said.

They also hope to answer important questions such as why some people only get mild symptoms, and which jobs may be most at risk.

Professor Hayward has 15 years experience in large scale community studies having set up and run the Flu Watch study of pandemic influenza in 2006.

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Questions from participants encouraged

He added: “We have lots of questions that this study will help answer but we also want participants to suggest their own questions. With the help of tens of thousands of participants across every region of England and Wales we will answer these questions together.”

He said: “Covid-19 isn’t going away any time soon, as lockdown is eased and we move through the summer to prepare for what could be a very difficult winter we need to learn as much we can to prepare for future waves.”

Results of the study will be regularly updated on the Virus Watch website.

What the study is investigating

  • If we catch Covid-19, for how long are we protected from catching it again?
  • As we go back to work, which jobs are most at risk?
  • Will going back to school increase transmission?
  • When will Covid-19 peak again?
  • Who gets infected or is most susceptible to it?
  • How do the symptoms differ between adults, children and vulnerable groups?
  • Why do some people get mild illness or show no symptoms and some get seriously ill?
  • How does our immune system protect us and can this help us design effective vaccines?
  • Why are some ethnic minority groups more likely to end up in intensive care than the rest of the UK population?
  • How can we safely go about our lives and prepare for the possibility of future outbreaks?

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