SIREN - SARS-COV2 immunity and reinfection evaluation [COVID-19] [UPH]

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    SIREN - SARS-COV2 immunity and reinfection evaluation; The impact of detectable anti SARS-COV2 antibody on the incidence of COVID-19 in healthcare workers

  • IRAS ID

    284460

  • Contact name

    Susan Hopkins

  • Contact email

    susan.hopkins@phe.gov.uk

  • Sponsor organisation

    UKHSA

  • ISRCTN Number

    ISRCTN11041050

  • Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier

    NCT12345678

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    1 years, 6 months, 0 days

  • Research summary

    The aim of this study is to find out whether healthcare workers who have evidence of prior COVID-19, detected by positive antibody tests, compared to those who do not have evidence of infection (negative antibody tests) are protected from future episodes of infection. We will recruit healthcare workers to be followed for at least a year and study their immune response to the virus causing COVID-19. We will do this by collecting data on their history of COVID-19 infection and any new symptoms. Individuals who work at a healthcare site will be asked to have a swab to detect the virus causing COVID-19 every other week in order to detect mild cases or cases without symptoms. This is the main test that is currently used to detect and diagnose infection. It looks directly for the virus in the nose and/ or throat. Once the infection is cleared, we cannot detect virus in swab samples. Therefore, we will also ask these individuals to have blood samples taken at least once per month to determine whether they have antibodies to the infection. These blood samples allow the previous infection to be detected because the response to infection (the immune response) in the body is to produce antibodies in the blood. It takes up to 4 weeks to make enough antibodies to fight the infection. But once someone recovers, antibodies stay in the blood at low levels– this is may help prevent re-infection. For COVID-19 we do not know yet if the detection of antibodies protects people from future infections. Through this study, we will provide this very important information which will help us to understand the future impact of COVID-19 on the population. [Study relying on COPI notice]

  • REC name

    South Central - Berkshire Research Ethics Committee

  • REC reference

    20/SC/0230

  • Date of REC Opinion

    20 May 2020

  • REC opinion

    Favourable Opinion