Evaluation of the Shielding Initiative in Wales (EVITE Immunity)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Effects of shielding for vulnerable people during COVID-19 pandemic on health outcomes, costs and immunity including those with cancer: quasi-experimental evaluation
IRAS ID
295050
Contact name
Helen Snooks
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Swansea University
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 11 months, 31 days
Research summary
Shielding was introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic across the UK. It was intended to protect those thought to be at highest risk of serious harm should they catch COVID-19 because of preconditions such as cancer or medications that they were taking. Currently, we do not know whether shielding works – whether it reduces COVID-19 infections, serious illness, deaths; effects on immunity or harms such as isolation, anxiety, depression or delayed care for serious health problems.
EVITE Immunity will involve work with NHS partners to evaluate shielding in Wales, where records for people who were shielded have already been anonymously linked into other integrated data systems. We will report how shielding affected deaths, hospital and intensive care admissions, COVID-19 infections, immunity status, safety, NHS costs, quality-of-life and how people complied with instructions.
We will carry out a full evaluation, and compare NHS records, questionnaire responses and blood test results at 12 months after shielding, for shielded people with similar people not selected for shielding, and subgroups such as those with cancer, BAME or living in deprived communities. We will also interview shielded people and NHS staff about their experiences.
As the shielding policy in Wales broadly replicated the policy in the rest of the UK, evidence from this evaluation will inform policy development and delivery in England as well as the devolved nations. The study is being led by Professor Helen Snooks and has been funded through the National Core Studies Immunity Programme. The project has been commissioned by Birmingham University and involves collaborations with Cardiff University, Warwick University, Welsh Government and NHS Wales. The team also includes public contributors who have confirmed the importance of undertaking this study.REC name
North East - Newcastle & North Tyneside 2 Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
21/NE/0170
Date of REC Opinion
16 Sep 2021
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion