United Kingdom Research study into Ethnicity And COVID-19 outcomes in Healthcare workers (UK-REACH): a retrospective cohort study using linked routinely collected data, study protocol
,
Kamlesh Khunti,
Laura J Gray,
David V Ford,
Katherine Woolf,
Manish Pareek,
Keith R Abrams,
David McAllister,
Laura Nellums,
Amit Gupta,
Catherine John,
Chris Orton,
Catherine Johns,
Sue Carr,
Chris McManus,
Laura Gray,
David Ford,
Christopher A Martin,
Keith Abrams,
Martin Tobin,
Lucy Teece,
Carl Melbourne,
Anna Guyatt,
Ibrahim Akubakar,
Louise Wain,
Edward Dove,
Kamlesh Kunti,
Robert Free
Affiliations
3University College London
Kamlesh Khunti
professor
Laura J Gray
University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
David V Ford
3 Population Data Science, Swansea University Medical School, Swansea, UK
Katherine Woolf
lecturer in medical education
Manish Pareek
Department of Respiratory Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
Keith R Abrams
Department of Statistics, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
David McAllister
1 University of Glasgow School of Health and Wellbeing, Glasgow, UK
Laura Nellums
3University of Nottingham
Amit Gupta
Centre for Diabetes Care, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
Catherine John
3 Department of Health Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
Chris Orton
Population Data Science, Swansea University Medical School, Swansea, UK
Catherine Johns
Sue Carr
General Medical Council
Chris McManus
professor of psychology and medical education
Laura Gray
Department of Health Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
David Ford
Population Data Science, Swansea University Medical School, Swansea, UK
Christopher A Martin
Department of Respiratory Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
Keith Abrams
professor of medical statistics
Martin Tobin
2 Genetic Epidemiology Research Group, Department of Health Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
Lucy Teece
Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
Carl Melbourne
Genetic Epidemiology Research Group, Department of Health Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
Introduction COVID-19 has spread rapidly worldwide, causing significant morbidity and mortality. People from ethnic minorities, particularly those working in healthcare settings, have been disproportionately affected. Current evidence of the association between ethnicity and COVID-19 outcomes in people working in healthcare settings is insufficient to inform plans to address health inequalities.Methods and analysis This study combines anonymised human resource databases with professional registration and National Health Service data sets to assess associations between ethnicity and COVID-19 diagnosis, hospitalisation and death in healthcare workers in the UK. Adverse COVID-19 outcomes will be assessed between 1 February 2020 (date following first confirmed COVID-19 case in UK) and study end date (31 January 2021), allowing 1-year of follow-up. Planned analyses include multivariable Poisson, logistic and flexible parametric time-to-event regression within each country, adjusting for core predictors, followed by meta-analysis of country-specific results to produce combined effect estimates for the UK. Mediation analysis methods will be explored to examine the direct, indirect and mediated interactive effects between ethnicity, occupational group and COVID-19 outcomes.Ethics and dissemination Ethical approval for the UK-REACH programme has been obtained via the expedited HRA COVID-19 processes (REC ref: 20/HRA/4718, IRAS ID: 288316). Research information will be anonymised via the Secure Anonymised Information Linkage Databank before release to researchers. Study results will be submitted for publication in an open access peer-reviewed journal and made available on our dedicated website (https://uk-reach.org/).Trial registration number ISRCTN11811602.
