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
Sponsor organisation
UKHSA
ISRCTN Number
ISRCTN11041050
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
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