COVID-19 Health Professional Impact Study (CHIP)

A Pilot Assessment of the COVID-19 Antibody Status and Associated Factors, in Individuals Employed by a Large Acute NHS Trust During the Coronavirus Pandemic

The COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic has had a huge impact on healthcare resources and staff in the UK. Understanding the key risk factors associated with infection amongst healthcare workers is essential for future pandemic response plans.

Currently there are scarce data relating to the infection rates and associated factors amongst healthcare workers in the United Kingdom (UK). Studies of infection rates in healthcare workers have largely relied on the real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test to date and it appears that Healthcare workers are twice as likely to succumb to Coronavirus infection, when compared to the general population and those from Black and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds appear to be particularly at risk.

Currently there is no evidence that the presence of SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) antibodies provides seasonal or long term immunity to future infection.

Therefore, this study aims to understand the current level of SARS-CoV-2 antibody positivity and try to determine the likely risk to healthcare workers in the UK to COVID-19 infection. This study hopes to find out whether certain individual characteristics will have an impact on likelihood of infection susceptibility and antibody response and determine the impact of the presence of antibodies on the likelihood of future clinical infection over a 12 month period.

The study involves an initial online survey and linkage to the recent antibody test, then a further online survey in 6 and 12 months' time. The data obtained will be linked to data that the Human Resources Department (HR) holds.

Participants also have the option to partake in another antibody test at 6 and 12 months' time and linked to the data collected.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome; Coronavirus Infection
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Survey; Diagnostic test: SARS-CoV-2 antibody test

Detailed Description

Participants will have access to the study via the link given in an SMS (Short Message Service - text message) which will direct then to the first online survey.

They will then be contacted again in 6 and 12 months' time to complete the online survey again.

The survey answers will be linked to the results of the antibody tests by their mobile and Employment Number and also to data held about them by the HR Department.

The survey will take approximately 15 minutes to complete and will include questions on the following: profession; work-line type; demographics and behavioural factors; ethnicity; and symptoms (if COVID 19 was manifested).

Participants can also attend for another blood test (SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) antibody test) to detect any presence of antibodies at 6 and 12 months (optional) which will again be linked to the survey and HR data.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 1504
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United Kingdom
  • Wolverhampton, United Kingdom, WV10 0QP
    • The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Child; Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• All Staff employed by Royal Wolverhampton Trust, having undergone the SARS-CoV-2antibody test at the Trust's testing facility

Exclusion Criteria:

• Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust staff who have not participated in antibody testing • Staff who have opted out to receiving the text message invite and be part of the study

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Health Services Research
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Other: All participants; Survey at 6 and 12 months time with optional antibody tests	Other: Survey; Survey at baseline, 6 and 12 months; Diagnostic test: SARS-CoV-2 antibody test; SARS-CoV-2 antibody test results and testing again at 6 and 12 months

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
The number of employees tested who have evidence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies	evidence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies	12 months
Factors associated with a positive test	Survey to establish; Type of healthcare role; Ethnicity; Age; Index of multiple deprivation; Previous RT-PCR test status; Previous clinical COVID infection; Previous period of self isolation; Level of COVID-19 related anxiety; Presence of one or more high risk factors for COVID 19; Presence or absence of self-reported COVID 19 symptoms	12 months
Likelihood of clinically relevant (causing illness) infection with SARS-CoV-2 in subjects with both positive and negative SARS-CoV-2 antibody tests	Infection compared to antibody presence	12 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: The Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals NHS Trust
• Collaborators: University of Wolverhampton
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Supratik Basu, The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Sethi S, Manuelpillai N, Mandal A, Simpson O, Morrissey H, Ball P, Sharrod-Cole H, Ford C, Whittaker AC, Drayson M, Race A, Bateman J, Basu S, Cotton J. COVID-19 seroprevalence after the first UK wave of the pandemic and its association with the physical and mental wellbeing of secondary care healthcare workers. Brain Behav Immun Health. 2022 Oct;24:100492. doi: 10.1016/j.bbih.2022.100492. Epub 2022 Aug 6.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): November 24, 2020
• Primary Completion (Actual): October 27, 2023
• Study Completion (Actual): October 27, 2023

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: August 24, 2020
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 24, 2020
• First Posted (Actual): August 26, 2020

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 2, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 1, 2025
• Last Verified: April 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Respiratory Tract Infections; Infections; RNA Virus Infections; Virus Diseases; Respiratory Tract Diseases; Coronaviridae Infections; Nidovirales Infections; Coronavirus Infections; Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome; Immunologic Factors; Physiological Effects of Drugs; Antibodies
• Other Study ID Numbers: 2020COV112

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO
• IPD Plan Description: Results will be published in journal

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No