The LOLIPOP COVID Study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Investigation of health related, lifestyle, environmental, genomic, and molecular factors underlying COVID-19 outcomes in South Asians and Europeans
IRAS ID
303487
Contact name
Jaspal Kooner
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Imperial College London
Duration of Study in the UK
20 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
South Asians are at high risk of COVID-19 compared to Europeans. The reasons underlying the difference in risk remains unidentified. To understand determinants of COVID-19 disease and related chronic outcomes in UK South Asians, we propose to follow up participants of the LOLIPOP cohort (comprising ~30,000 UK South Asians and Europeans recruited between 2002-2008). Follow up of participants will involve moving through a series of ‘assessment stations’ including consent, questionnaires, physical measurements and blood sampling. The follow up assessment will be of ~ 60-minute duration. Assessment will be carried out by staff (nurses/ health care assistants) trained specifically for the LOLIPOP study. Data will be collected using a customised integrated IT system. Blood samples will be collected for serological testing for SARS-COV-2 antibodies.
To maximise discovery of COVID-19 cases, and to allow us to assess and correct for responder bias, we will link study participants to national and regional COVID-19 registers, and vital registrations. We aim to use a range of data sources including linkage for: i. death; ii. site-specific cancer, iii. Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) for England and Wales; Scottish Morbidity Record (SMR) for Scotland; iv. myocardial infarction (MINAP), stroke (SINAP); v. pathology services at local hospitals; vi. hospital databases (CVD, T2D, ESRD, histopathology); vii. primary-care electronic health records. Since it is not possible to describe the electronic health records that will be available in the future, it is not possible to provide an exhaustive list of data sources that we will use. In general, we will aim to access a wide range of systems (current and future) that hold health data as is usual practice in large scale population studies internationally. The data and samples will be used to investigate health related, lifestyle, environmental, genomic, and molecular factors underlying COVID-19 outcomes in South Asians and Europeans.REC name
London - Westminster Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
21/PR/1484
Date of REC Opinion
15 Nov 2021
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion