The clinical spectrum of SARS-CoV-2 infection in healthcare workers [COVID-19]
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Characterizing the clinical spectrum of SARS-CoV-2 infection in healthcare workers, risk factors for acquisition and phylogenetic analysis of strains from healthcare workers and patients at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
IRAS ID
281918
Contact name
Thushan De Silva
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Sheffield Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 7 months, 1 days
Research summary
As of April 08, 2020, there have been 60,733 positive reported cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the United Kingdom (UK). Though clear guidelines on personal protective equipment (PPE) have been published by Public Health England (PHE) for healthcare workers (HCW), hospitals are still recognised as high-risk areas for spread of infection. HCWs may acquire infection though care for patients with COVID-19, however early data from China and The Netherlands have suggested that the majority of infections in HCWs are community-acquired rather than hospital-acquired. Furthermore, HCWs frequently have contact with and can transmit infection to vulnerable patients. It is crucial to understand the clinical presentation of COVID-19 in healthcare workers to inform policy for exclusion and testing of HCWs for SARS-CoV-2. Furthermore, whole genome sequence data from HCWs and patients allows assessment of phylogenetic association between viruses and determine whether HCW infections are likely to be community- or hospital-acquired.\n\nThis study aims to identify the clinical features and healthcare-associated risk factors for COVID-19 in HCWs, including estimation of the proportion of HCWs tested for SARS-CoV-2 who met Public Health England criterion for COVID-19 testing at the time of diagnosis, as well we look at genetic similarities between strains taken from HCWs and patients in clinical settings at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.\n
REC name
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REC reference
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