Understanding Society March 2021 COVID-19 survey, version 1 [COVID-19]
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Understanding Society March 2021 COVID-19 survey
IRAS ID
296134
Contact name
Michaela J Benzeval
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Essex
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 1 months, 7 days
Research summary
Research Summary
As a long-running study, Understanding Society is ideally placed to collect information about the effects of COVID-19 on the lives of people in the UK. We have collected annual information from our participants for over ten years and we will continue to invite them to annual interviews into the future. This means that Understanding Society is the perfect instrument to see how different groups of people are affected by the coronavirus pandemic and social restrictions now and in the future. Since April 2020, therefore, participants in the study have been invited to complete a regular web survey; 17,000 people took part in the first wave and six waves of data are available at the UK Data Service (UKDS). The survey is providing significant insights into people’s experiences, for example it has been used in the SAGE report on ethnic minorities and vaccine hesitancy, Public Health England’s mental health monitor and Public Health Scotland’s evaluation of shielding.
Understanding Society is a partner in the Longitudinal Health and Wealth National Core Study (LH&W NCS) (initiated by Sir Patrick Vallance), which aims to generate greater understanding of risk factors related to COVID-19 outcomes and both short- and long-term health and wider outcomes related to COVID-19 and interventions. To provide better data on COVID-19 infections and outcomes, in the March 2021 web survey, and by letter for those without internet, we will ask participants to undertake an antibody test and for their consent to link to their NHS records. For those who consent to receiving an antibody kit, this would be sent to them, and if they return it, their results will be fed back. The antibody results will be accessible, with the COVID-19 survey data, in the UKDS. Linked NHS data will be made available via one or more secure access platforms.Summary of Results
The Understanding Society COVID-19 Survey https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fu2790089.ct.sendgrid.net%2Fls%2Fclick%3Fupn%3DXv3JSvJ-2B3M71ppf7N9agbWnTxtsXwofM9e57qStjJgKGJrmfXwdCmKu2OjMUJVY-2FsEmV1bx2L7S6Iybmjr0fmcgWdAdizWtOw5-2FpNtOj59s-3D6TG3_E1aO2-2BZlVOSJJV-2FajQqskegTd6IRomHYTi-2Fbt8SH3YKViaHgQAm-2BvG31hURvxEi40bmqeC7eWXB8-2FGrb9y2-2B82LW4GAesCxgE-2FN3b9yhXHmcMFdS0VzBGSu1-2B08SGAOzsjrC6i-2Ftu4y3-2BUZRgCGImXLwjxmGcLFIyiSVdF9C4JtrklgdvP-2BB73Mi7nC28f8I5pAEBVewVztzFyTnaC7cDw-3D-3D&data=05%7C01%7Capprovals%40hra.nhs.uk%7C3e9f787e94ce46bbdfb608daa301e240%7C8e1f0acad87d4f20939e36243d574267%7C0%7C0%7C638001525725639336%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=heyBlqms%2B8mDH8ivn3qlbxR5u%2BBfjXsXYGB2kySfjvU%3D&reserved=0 ran from April 2020 to September 2021. In March 2021 we additionally asked participants to provide a blood sample so that we could test for COVID-19 antigens and to consent to link to their NHS data. The data from the survey are available for researchers to use from the UK Data Service, https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fu2790089.ct.sendgrid.net%2Fls%2Fclick%3Fupn%3DXv3JSvJ-2B3M71ppf7N9agbYVp0vVv9mc6YFGGVUIF-2BHRgrbXEjo7hXc3I4FupUP9UwEdQHA0KGajv1vbk3KbiIyUViccsTxrJ1I7OfAwQTAc-3Dkq8n_E1aO2-2BZlVOSJJV-2FajQqskegTd6IRomHYTi-2Fbt8SH3YKViaHgQAm-2BvG31hURvxEi4H-2B-2BlFBlVlcEaWA4bwDgqjFkNrO4ggMRvMvkK7UT5mGoCiu66Px7NytOnhdnns3bMrADCIBeBXLGT18-2Fg3m7dUTYmMx1hzQjbvaHumKlNQvDgmrPV-2Fn8D00ktbCajHi9AaHmmzKg2x6IsSg0frpK-2FXg-3D-3D&data=05%7C01%7Capprovals%40hra.nhs.uk%7C3e9f787e94ce46bbdfb608daa301e240%7C8e1f0acad87d4f20939e36243d574267%7C0%7C0%7C638001525725639336%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=3tBA7JdrDfOHfumoUrtfgSnugwHxDJ87KzfKCYECCeE%3D&reserved=0 and by September 2022 it had been downloaded by approx. 1,500 data users and over 350 publications https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fu2790089.ct.sendgrid.net%2Fls%2Fclick%3Fupn%3DXv3JSvJ-2B3M71ppf7N9agbWnTxtsXwofM9e57qStjJgIgtqdrev4yDFN8IrYz-2BOs6dJS1XzV4i3JAJkU97jkjMqG4zrpfPd8CBVaiSm4-2Bcl-2B-2BiCsO03oJisigP-2BHg7hTI81a7_E1aO2-2BZlVOSJJV-2FajQqskegTd6IRomHYTi-2Fbt8SH3YKViaHgQAm-2BvG31hURvxEi4o-2BUIx8fSTn7M8j1UQ0zVWXUF7s4bwgIw6xd32QzQ5b84LK-2BKh7WqV7M1anGnkfxkkgoftK4gUiJkgaeyzzDTp0hOiLo-2FcrUFIpJ608HqK6ijEDs2O86S-2FyCWFWUeq-2F1L4cL-2BlHYEUfXwmQsag1GFNg-3D-3D&data=05%7C01%7Capprovals%40hra.nhs.uk%7C3e9f787e94ce46bbdfb608daa301e240%7C8e1f0acad87d4f20939e36243d574267%7C0%7C0%7C638001525725639336%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=UUEyKDDKvArPSg8YZLulQJcKSaq%2Fl14AIPoLNFExJNQ%3D&reserved=0 had been produced from the data. Findings from the data were also used by a range of government departments to monitor the effects of the pandemic https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fu2790089.ct.sendgrid.net%2Fls%2Fclick%3Fupn%3DXv3JSvJ-2B3M71ppf7N9agbWnTxtsXwofM9e57qStjJgJOGjo3p7BO23qPLBQxLw8AAoFfDLSf-2BYPD0ad102CQU0Y8BZzO2zoMig5idDTflGXsTrJivCu2Ud6H-2FuC6JalKSfNkX-2F5rKTAKECiZYsqUADj259CLDn3sh8Yea2ZwyPo-3DQ4ny_E1aO2-2BZlVOSJJV-2FajQqskegTd6IRomHYTi-2Fbt8SH3YKViaHgQAm-2BvG31hURvxEi4EaCYNI-2FI9OG4mirvWOVWjtDMnAXoQ-2BK3ztevKKfGw9CZK-2BsT2IoGmas5PpoUqCaCpNKL3KFu7c5NeflNSIRqc123Hn8hyL-2Fbha623TH04OI-2Bfw1Vf85hIBO9wW4rFxo4BFl3e9E-2B2hWvC1yG-2FNpCoA-3D-3D&data=05%7C01%7Capprovals%40hra.nhs.uk%7C3e9f787e94ce46bbdfb608daa301e240%7C8e1f0acad87d4f20939e36243d574267%7C0%7C0%7C638001525725639336%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=q6xb26frG2JXGRrukWcjzP2NgrM1JxGVDpP96BWeULY%3D&reserved=0 and inform policies. https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fu2790089.ct.sendgrid.net%2Fls%2Fclick%3Fupn%3DXv3JSvJ-2B3M71ppf7N9agbWnTxtsXwofM9e57qStjJgJOGjo3p7BO23qPLBQxLw8AAoFfDLSf-2BYPD0ad102CQU-2BmoGMVZvMwS5zPKq60BZMRR8y9-2BQ1rKhNwQCFqHz6ZrL0GluXmZN1w3-2BUn9ZS6VsQ-2Fqi7pSRBeL3RrH-2B5i3Wpc-3D5oc2_E1aO2-2BZlVOSJJV-2FajQqskegTd6IRomHYTi-2Fbt8SH3YKViaHgQAm-2BvG31hURvxEi4w3czYKrA2II76BVERIGj8WBGOnssQOzvHVpqBHHqkOG878LvuZxp7XFV0wQ7tQxM9mQhR4ObO7qsrCbOm11xI2xsF4cP3DmP9rUQi7MoUSka3wTN8nNXRFZqqjJy7lGF2IX5gMK2jaSqZiUQD-2BtBFg-3D-3D&data=05%7C01%7Capprovals%40hra.nhs.uk%7C3e9f787e94ce46bbdfb608daa301e240%7C8e1f0acad87d4f20939e36243d574267%7C0%7C0%7C638001525725639336%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=o%2B1r1WvmvD%2FTFiW5Ax%2FeVTJ3p%2F3hF028ta5JC58V1mA%3D&reserved=0
REC name
London - City & East Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
21/HRA/0644
Date of REC Opinion
4 Mar 2021
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion