STAY-CALM (Community Action Local Model) Pilot

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    STAY-CALM (Community Action Local Model) Pilot Study

  • IRAS ID

    288249

  • Contact name

    Kamalini Ramdas

  • Contact email

    kramdas@london.edu

  • Sponsor organisation

    London Business School

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    0 years, 2 months, 1 days

  • Research summary

    Given evidence of asymptomatic transmission, studies are investigating how to promote adoption of safe behaviours (handwashing, safe distancing, masking, awareness of transmission modes) and to implement regular and widespread Covid-19 testing. Some nations have started such testing, and the UK is too, e.g., UCLH’s Virus Watch and Imperial’s REACT-2 (in which participation was lower lower in ethnic minorities and underprivileged populations).
    Unlike national level studies of prevalence and transmission, our focus is on developing a community response model to curb Covid-19 focusing on the needs of ethnically and economically diverse subpopulations, integrated with local networks – including local primary care networks, NHS surgeries, public health, charities, religious organizations and funding aided by local businesses.
    We are developing a replicable local community-based model to curb the pandemic, built on three interlinked pillars: regular testing close to home, treatment, and encouraging safe behaviours, tying in to government-provided tracing. We will combine and test several effective, efficient innovations, including virtual group service delivery, rationalized testing using prediction and optimization, pooled samples and combination tests, and implement the model in Somers Town and nearby Camden wards.

  • REC name

    East Midlands - Nottingham 2 Research Ethics Committee

  • REC reference

    20/EM/0265

  • Date of REC Opinion

    30 Oct 2020

  • REC opinion

    Unfavourable Opinion