Wellcome Open Research (Oct 2020)
Healthcare Workers Bioresource: Study outline and baseline characteristics of a prospective healthcare worker cohort to study immune protection and pathogenesis in COVID-19 [version 2; peer review: 1 approved, 2 approved with reservations]
- João B Augusto,
- Katia Menacho,
- Mervyn Andiapen,
- Ruth Bowles,
- Maudrian Burton,
- Sophie Welch,
- Anish N Bhuva,
- Andreas Seraphim,
- Corinna Pade,
- George Joy,
- Melanie Jensen,
- Rhodri H Davies,
- Gabriella Captur,
- Marianna Fontana,
- Hugh Montgomery,
- Ben O’Brien,
- Aroon D Hingorani,
- Teresa Cutino-Moguel,
- Áine McKnight,
- Hakam Abbass,
- Mashael Alfarih,
- Zoe Alldis,
- Georgina L Baca,
- Alex Boulter,
- Olivia V Bracken,
- Natalie Bullock,
- Nicola Champion,
- Carmen Chan,
- Xose Couto-Parada,
- Keenan Dieobi-Anene,
- Karen Feehan,
- Gemma Figtree,
- Melanie C Figtree,
- Malcolm Finlay,
- Nasim Forooghi,
- Joseph M Gibbons,
- Peter Griffiths,
- Matt Hamblin,
- Lee Howes,
- Ivie Itua,
- Meleri Jones,
- Victor Jardim,
- Vikas Kapil,
- Wing-Yiu Jason Lee,
- Vineela Mandadapu,
- Celina Mfuko,
- Oliver Mitchelmore,
- Susana Palma,
- Kush Patel,
- Steffen E Petersen,
- Brian Piniera,
- Rosalind Raine,
- Alicja Rapala,
- Amy Richards,
- Genine Sambile,
- Jorge Couto de Sousa,
- Michelle Sugimoto,
- George D Thornton,
- Jessica Artico,
- Dan Zahedi,
- Ruth Parker,
- Mathew Robathan,
- Lauren M Hickling,
- Ntobeko Ntusi,
- Amanda Semper,
- Tim Brooks,
- Jessica Jones,
- Art Tucker,
- Jessry Veerapen,
- Mohit Vijayakumar,
- Theresa Wodehouse,
- Lucinda Wynne,
- Thomas A Treibel,
- Mahdad Noursadeghi,
- Charlotte Manisty,
- James C Moon
Affiliations
- João B Augusto
- Institute of Cardiovascular Science, University College London, London, UK
- Katia Menacho
- Institute of Cardiovascular Science, University College London, London, UK
- Mervyn Andiapen
- Barts Heart Centre, St Bartholomew's Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK, London, UK
- Ruth Bowles
- Barts Heart Centre, St Bartholomew's Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK, London, UK
- Maudrian Burton
- Barts Heart Centre, St Bartholomew's Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK, London, UK
- Sophie Welch
- Barts Heart Centre, St Bartholomew's Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK, London, UK
- Anish N Bhuva
- Institute of Cardiovascular Science, University College London, London, UK
- Andreas Seraphim
- Institute of Cardiovascular Science, University College London, London, UK
- Corinna Pade
- William Harvey Research Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
- George Joy
- Institute of Cardiovascular Science, University College London, London, UK
- Melanie Jensen
- Barts Heart Centre, St Bartholomew's Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK, London, UK
- Rhodri H Davies
- Barts Heart Centre, St Bartholomew's Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK, London, UK
- Gabriella Captur
- Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
- Marianna Fontana
- Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
- Hugh Montgomery
- Centre for Human Health and Performance, University College London, London, UK
- Ben O’Brien
- Barts Heart Centre, St Bartholomew's Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK, London, UK
- Aroon D Hingorani
- Institute of Cardiovascular Science, University College London, London, UK
- Teresa Cutino-Moguel
- Department of Virology, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK
- Áine McKnight
- The Blizard Institute, Queen Mary University of London School of Medicine and Dentistry, London, UK
- Hakam Abbass
- Barts Heart Centre, St Bartholomew's Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK, London, UK
- Mashael Alfarih
- Institute of Cardiovascular Science, University College London, London, UK
- Zoe Alldis
- Barts Heart Centre, St Bartholomew's Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK, London, UK
- Georgina L Baca
- Barts Heart Centre, St Bartholomew's Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK, London, UK
- Alex Boulter
- Barts Heart Centre, St Bartholomew's Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK, London, UK
- Olivia V Bracken
- Division of Medicine, University College London, London, UK
- Natalie Bullock
- Barts Heart Centre, St Bartholomew's Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK, London, UK
- Nicola Champion
- Barts Heart Centre, St Bartholomew's Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK, London, UK
- Carmen Chan
- Barts Heart Centre, St Bartholomew's Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK, London, UK
- Xose Couto-Parada
- Department of Virology, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK
- Keenan Dieobi-Anene
- Barts Heart Centre, St Bartholomew's Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK, London, UK
- Karen Feehan
- Division of Medicine, University College London, London, UK
- Gemma Figtree
- Royal North Shore Hospital; The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
- Melanie C Figtree
- Royal North Shore Hospital; The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
- Malcolm Finlay
- Barts Heart Centre, St Bartholomew's Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK, London, UK
- Nasim Forooghi
- Barts Heart Centre, St Bartholomew's Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK, London, UK
- Joseph M Gibbons
- The Blizard Institute, Queen Mary University of London School of Medicine and Dentistry, London, UK
- Peter Griffiths
- School of Health Sciences, University of Southampton & NIHR Applied Research Collaboration (ARC), Wessex, UK
- Matt Hamblin
- Barts Heart Centre, St Bartholomew's Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK, London, UK
- Lee Howes
- Institute of Cardiovascular Science, University College London, London, UK
- Ivie Itua
- Barts Heart Centre, St Bartholomew's Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK, London, UK
- Meleri Jones
- Wolfson Institute of Preventative Medicine, Centre for Cancer Prevention, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
- Victor Jardim
- Barts Heart Centre, St Bartholomew's Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK, London, UK
- Vikas Kapil
- Barts Heart Centre, St Bartholomew's Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK, London, UK
- Wing-Yiu Jason Lee
- The Blizard Institute, Queen Mary University of London School of Medicine and Dentistry, London, UK
- Vineela Mandadapu
- Barts Heart Centre, St Bartholomew's Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK, London, UK
- Celina Mfuko
- Barts Heart Centre, St Bartholomew's Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK, London, UK
- Oliver Mitchelmore
- Barts Heart Centre, St Bartholomew's Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK, London, UK
- Susana Palma
- Barts Heart Centre, St Bartholomew's Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK, London, UK
- Kush Patel
- Institute of Cardiovascular Science, University College London, London, UK
- Steffen E Petersen
- Barts Heart Centre, St Bartholomew's Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK, London, UK
- Brian Piniera
- Barts Heart Centre, St Bartholomew's Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK, London, UK
- Rosalind Raine
- Department of Applied Health Research, University College London, London, UK
- Alicja Rapala
- Institute of Cardiovascular Science, University College London, London, UK
- Amy Richards
- Barts Heart Centre, St Bartholomew's Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK, London, UK
- Genine Sambile
- Barts Heart Centre, St Bartholomew's Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK, London, UK
- Jorge Couto de Sousa
- Barts Heart Centre, St Bartholomew's Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK, London, UK
- Michelle Sugimoto
- Division of Medicine, University College London, London, UK
- George D Thornton
- Institute of Cardiovascular Science, University College London, London, UK
- Jessica Artico
- Barts Heart Centre, St Bartholomew's Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK, London, UK
- Dan Zahedi
- School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Ruth Parker
- School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Mathew Robathan
- William Harvey Research Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
- Lauren M Hickling
- East London NHS Foundation Trust Unit for Social and Community Psychiatry, Newham Centre for Mental Health, London, UK
- Ntobeko Ntusi
- Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town and Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa
- Amanda Semper
- Public Health England, Porton Down, UK
- Tim Brooks
- Public Health England, Porton Down, UK
- Jessica Jones
- Public Health England, Porton Down, UK
- Art Tucker
- Barts Heart Centre, St Bartholomew's Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK, London, UK
- Jessry Veerapen
- Barts Heart Centre, St Bartholomew's Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK, London, UK
- Mohit Vijayakumar
- Barts Heart Centre, St Bartholomew's Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK, London, UK
- Theresa Wodehouse
- Barts Heart Centre, St Bartholomew's Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK, London, UK
- Lucinda Wynne
- Barts Heart Centre, St Bartholomew's Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK, London, UK
- Thomas A Treibel
- Institute of Cardiovascular Science, University College London, London, UK
- Mahdad Noursadeghi
- Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London, UK
- Charlotte Manisty
- Institute of Cardiovascular Science, University College London, London, UK
- James C Moon
- Institute of Cardiovascular Science, University College London, London, UK
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.12688/wellcomeopenres.16051.2
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 5
Abstract
Background: Most biomedical research has focused on sampling COVID-19 patients presenting to hospital with advanced disease, with less focus on the asymptomatic or paucisymptomatic. We established a bioresource with serial sampling of health care workers (HCWs) designed to obtain samples before and during mainly mild disease, with follow-up sampling to evaluate the quality and duration of immune memory. Methods: We conducted a prospective study on HCWs from three hospital sites in London, initially at a single centre (recruited just prior to first peak community transmission in London), but then extended to multiple sites 3 weeks later (recruitment still ongoing, target n=1,000). Asymptomatic participants attending work complete a health questionnaire, and provide a nasal swab (for SARS-CoV-2 RNA by RT-PCR tests) and blood samples (mononuclear cells, serum, plasma, RNA and DNA are biobanked) at 16 weekly study visits, and at 6 and 12 months. Results: Preliminary baseline results for the first 731 HCWs (400 single-centre, 331 multicentre extension) are presented. Mean age was 38±11 years; 67% are female, 31% nurses, 20% doctors, and 19% work in intensive care units. COVID-19-associated risk factors were: 37% black, Asian or minority ethnicities; 18% smokers; 13% obesity; 11% asthma; 7% hypertension and 2% diabetes mellitus. At baseline, 41% reported symptoms in the preceding 2 weeks. Preliminary test results from the initial cohort (n=400) are available: PCR at baseline for SARS-CoV-2 was positive in 28 of 396 (7.1%, 95% CI 4.9-10.0%) and 15 of 385 (3.9%, 2.4-6.3%) had circulating IgG antibodies. Conclusions: This COVID-19 bioresource established just before the peak of infections in the UK will provide longitudinal assessments of incident infection and immune responses in HCWs through the natural time course of disease and convalescence. The samples and data from this bioresource are available to academic collaborators by application https://covid-consortium.com/application-for-samples/.
