The CoPS study [COVID-19]

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Prevalence and persistence of SARS-CoV-2 in stool of COVID-19 positive subjects

• IRAS ID

  284252

• Contact name

  Arjan Narbad

• Contact email

  arjan.narbad@quadram.ac.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  Quadram Institute Bioscience

• Duration of Study in the UK

  2 years, 0 months, 1 days

• Research summary

  Summary of Research

  This is a research study carried out at the Quadram Institute Bioscience in collaboration with the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital.\nThis is a longitudinal study in which participants that have been confirmed by an NHS swab test as COVID-19 positive will be asked to provide faecal and saliva samples, and complete short health/lifestyle questionnaires at the time of sampling. The number of samples collected from any participant will be dependent on how long the SARS-CoV-2 virus persists within the gut/stool, but will not exceed 8 of each sample type. We will aim to recruit up to 200 participants, and, to get the desired numbers, it may be necessary to continue recruitment during any further UK COVID-19 infection peaks. These samples will be primarily used to verify the persistence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in the faeces, with whole genome sequencing also being used for viral strain analyses.\nThe research sponsor of this study is the Quadram Institute Bioscience.

  Summary of Results
  The study, led by the Quadram Institute in partnership with the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital and James Paget University Hospital, has shown how long the virus persists in the saliva and faeces of infected people. By analysing samples provided by people from across Norfolk during waves of the pandemic, the researchers have shown how in this group RNA from the SARS-CoV-2 virus that caused COVID-19 is detected for longer in saliva than in faeces, with the duration dependent on the severity of the symptoms. Taken alongside studies in North America and Asia, this research builds on our understanding of COVID-19 that will help prepare us for future pandemics. In total, 120 adults from Norfolk joined the study, who had recently tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, most of whom were recruited onto the study following a social media campaign, and researchers appearing in the local news media. Participants were screened remotely to ensure they were eligible and taken through the study to ensure they were fully informed and able to give consent to take part. They were asked to provide a weekly sample of their saliva and faeces, as well as provide information about their symptoms. The results of the CoPS Study have now been published in the journal Microbiology Spectrum. In this, the researchers show that while most participants had detectable virus in their saliva and faeces in the first week after infection, this declined over time. The virus appears to persist in saliva samples slightly longer than in faeces. Compared with other studies carried out in other parts of the world, the CoPS study revealed that SARS-CoV-2 virus persists for less time in faeces than previously seen. This may reflect differences in population vaccination status, public health interventions, or the dominant viral variants in circulation at the time. In one case, a participant even had two different SARS-CoV-2 variants in their saliva and their faeces, emphasising the complexities of understanding the virus during a pandemic, and the value of genomic sequencing to track and fully understand the dynamics
  

• REC name

  HSC REC A

• REC reference

  20/NI/0076

• Date of REC Opinion

  2 Jun 2020

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion