Coming up in this issue...

Announcements

1. Showcasing the SIREN Study

It's easy to get caught up in the day job and forget the vital role that you, and research teams across the UK, play in running a study that has provided crucial insights into COVID-19 research for over two years now. The SIREN study was set-up during a very uncertain and challenging time, and thanks to your efforts it has evolved to play a critical role in the national pandemic response. 

We have developed a three-part series of videos to showcase the study.

To kick us off we spoke to a number of SIREN sites to highlight the crucial role research teams play and provide insight into what is involved in running a study on this scale:

Next we spoke to our wonderful participants to highlight what it's like being part of a research study and why they chose to get involved:

And finally, we wanted to tell the story of SIREN from the very beginning: 

A huge thank you to all our video participants and to those who volunteered but did not get to feature this time around - we hope to create more videos in the future to showcase the study and we will certainly be back in touch.

Please do share these videos as widely as possible! All three can be found on our webpage.  We will be sharing the videos with SIREN participants later this week via the participant newsletter. If you would like to share on Twitter please tag @victoria_jhall and @SMHopkins using #SIRENstudy.

2. SIREN Participant Involvement Panel

Operational reminders

1. Supporting new research questions

In the last newsletter we announced two new questionnaires for SIREN participants which are sent directly to participants via the UKHSA SIREN team. Please find an update on both below.

i) Symptom durability and severity 

A one-off questionnaire for participants who have previously tested positive for COVID-19. Participants are asked questions about how long their symptoms lasted, how their daily activities were impacted and whether they required any medical treatment.

UPDATE: A huge thank you to all sites who have encouraged participants to respond! To date we have received over 4,000 responses. There's still time to respond however - please flag to your participants that the questionnaire closes on 31 October 2022. 

ii) Enhanced clinical history 

A one-off questionnaire for all SIREN participants. Participants will be asked questions about any medical conditions they have, past episodes of illness and their vaccine history.

The questionnaire will also include a section for feedback on the SIREN study so participants can have their say on what works well and what needs to change.

UPDATE: We hope to have this questionnaire go live in the next couple of weeks. 

2. Even more new research! Winter pressures sub-study

What is it?

SIREN is launching a "Winter Pressures Sub Study" to run from November 2022–March 2023. We will work with sites who provide multiplex testing with the aim to build an understanding of the:

i. Incidence of influenza infection in healthcare workers

ii. Incidence of asymptomatic influenza

Why?

We are concerned that we will have a large influenza outbreak this winter, given the relaxing of social distancing. It is crucial for policy makers to have data on COVID-19 and influenza to ensure they can effectively plan for winters. SIREN is well placed to answer these questions, and it is vital to understand how COVID-19 interacts with other respiratory diseases.

For who?

We are aiming for 7,500 participants for the sub study. This will be open to sites using multiplex tests. We are in the process of submitting the ethics amendment and as soon as we are able we will invite sites to join the sub study.  

Once a site has opted in, participants will be informed and have the opportunity to opt out. We have had confirmation from NIHR that participants continuing into this sub-study will count as accruals.

When? 

We have written a major protocol amendment with support from HRA +NIHR. We are aiming to start data collection 28 November 2022.

How do I find out more?

We have discussed this opportunity at the SIREN PI Forum and at a recent PIP meeting. There will be further opportunity to ask questions about the sub study during the All-Site Debrief Meetings on Tuesday 25 October and Thursday 27 October, both 12:30-13:30. 

If you have any further questions please contact siren@ukhsa.gov.uk.
 

3. Piloting a new postal swab system for positive LFT results

We are currently piloting our new system which will enable us to confirm positive participant LFT results via a postal PCR swab. 

This system will not replace the regular fortnightly PCR tests participants undergo as part of the SIREN study, it will be an additional service.

Key things to note:

• We are aiming to go live in all England, Scotland and Wales sites in early November.
• This new system does not apply to Northern Ireland sites who will continue to use their existing process. 
• We will contact all sites and participants prior to the go live day with instructions and a participant information leaflet.
• Participants will be directed to a SnapSurvey form via an out of office email on the participant inbox and on the SIREN website.

An overview of the system:

If you have any questions about this new system please contact the SIREN team via siren@ukhsa.gov.uk. 

4. SIREN dashboard

Thank you to the SIREN sites who helped us pilot the new dashboard.  The SIREN dashboards are interactive, site-specific platforms which can be accessed at any time by site teams. Your dashboard will be connected to the SIREN database and showcase key participant information to better visualise and understand this important data.

The dashboard will replace the line lists and reports that we email you on a monthly basis.

We are aiming to invite all sites to the dashboard by 4 November 2022. Please keep an eye on your emails to respond to this invitation. 

5. Send us your sera samples

We are reviewing the number of sera samples received by SEU from each site and comparing it to the number we would expect to receive. This estimate is based on the number of participants and their length of time in the study at your site. We will contact sites who have sent lower than predicted amounts.

6. Royal mail strikes

We are aware of the upcoming Royal Mail strikes and that these may impact a number of sites. For SIREN sites who use Royal Mail for sample deliveries, please note the Royal Mail website suggests “Special Delivery Guaranteed” and “Tracked24” items will be given priority and delivered where possible even on strike days.

If you are concerned please post your samples avoiding dispatch or arrival on a strike day, even if this results in a slight delay.

Further information from Royal Mail is available on their website.

Bonus items

1. Sharing stories: reflections and stories from sites and participants

SIREN is shaped by your feedback and case studies are a key part of that.

Please submit your reflections here to be featured in the next issue of the SIREN newsletter.

"The SIREN delivery Team received a Highly Commended Award at the recent Thames Valley & South Midlands Clinical Research Network awards event in Oxford. The SIREN study was set up by UKHSA under pandemic conditions and involved co-operation from several different departments to facilitate study tasks and testing regimes. The first year saw recruitment of over 310 clinical and non-clinical Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust (BHT) staff into the study."

"Responsibility for managing the complex schedule of fortnightly PCR and monthly antibody testing was taken on by a dedicated administrative team of Research Nurses and Research Practitioners. This team demonstrated flexibility, adaptability and dedication to embrace fast-paced trial development. They worked tirelessly to encourage retention amongst recruits already dealing with the heavy demands of their working routines and daily lives in difficult circumstances.

At our Trust the study extended into a second year in September 2021 with over 40% participant retention. The team took on a new testing regime and adapted to a revised cohort of staff to manage. All this was done collaboratively and with a sense of newfound friendships as the team got to know staff from multiple specialties across the three Trust sites. The team liaises almost daily with colleagues in pathology who continue to support sample processing. Special mention goes out to Dr Nick Wong, Microbiology Consultant and PI for his support and congratulations goes to the whole SIREN Team for their dedication and endurance.

We were extremely lucky at BHT to engage involvement from pathology, phlebotomy and Occupational Health when we first set the study up. The team have gained multiple benefits from becoming familiar with excel spreadsheets to expanding research awareness across the Trust. We look forward to supporting our remaining stalwart participants through to the end of March 2023."

Ruth Penn, SIREN Study Co-ordinator

Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, England

2. SIREN in the spotlight

We are delighted to share that the SIREN study and Consortium have been featured in an article on the UK Covid Vaccine Research Hub:

Thanks to Desmond Areghan for this great blog sharing their experience of working with the SIREN Scotland team.

The UKHSA conference took place in Leeds last week, 18-19th October. The SIREN study featured in several presentations and posters, catch-up on this and other SIREN news below:

SIREN Study Lead, Victoria Hall, has joined Twitter - please follow @victoria_jhall for an additional avenue of SIREN-related news and updates. 

We really enjoy reading your insights about the SIREN study in newsletters, blogs and on social media. If you'd like to join us on Twitter please use #SIRENstudy and tag @victoria_jhall and @SMHopkins.

With best wishes,

SIREN Study Team