Staff thanked for taking part in COVID-19 research
Posted 6th January 2022
Clatterbridge staff have been spotted in a new government video promoting the SIREN study, which is researching COVID-19 in healthcare workers.
Since August 2020, about 250 staff at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre have been participating in the research by regularly giving swabs to check for the virus and blood samples to detect any antibodies.
The study is organised at Clatterbridge by the Research & Innovation team, which is also monitoring staff immune responses as well as the prevalence and incidence of COVID infection.
The findings are passed to the national SIREN team which is investigating how prior infection and vaccination affects the risk of infection with COVID-19.
Recent analysis of the study shows that people who have previously had the virus and then are given the vaccine have robust and lasting levels of immunity. This finding is outlined in a new video from the UK Health Security Agency.
In the video, Chief Medical Advisor and SIREN lead Dr Susan Hopkins is joined by Deputy Chief Medical Officer Sir Jonathan Van-Tam and Consultant Epidemiologist Victoria Hall to thank the volunteers and urge them to continue participating in the research.
A photo of the Clatterbridge SIREN team features in the video, which you can watch by clicking here.
Professor Van-Tam says: “Thank-you all for taking part in the SIREN study so far. I can’t tell you how important this study has been. It is the largest of its kind in the world and it is already giving us really vital data on how long immune protection lasts and also how well our vaccines are performing.
“This is really important data that will be important for months and years to come. Your support so far has been absolutely vital so please stay with us for the next stage in this journey.”
Emma Whitby, Head of Research Delivery at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre, said: “I’d like also to thank everyone who is continuing to support the SIREN study by participating in it or delivering it at Clatterbridge.
“The rise of the Omicron variant shows just how important it is to continue to find out more about COVID-19 so we can improve vaccines and hopefully find more treatments for the effects of it.”
Below are some of the Clatterbridge SIREN team.
