The Vivaldi 2 study will more than triple in size to
provide a detailed picture of coronavirus infection in
care homes in England. These findings will help improve
understanding of these vulnerable groups’ immune
response to COVID-19 and help inform future treatments
for the virus.
As part of the major research study led by University
College London (UCL), 14,000 care home residents and
staff will be tested quarterly for their immune
response to COVID-19. The number of care homes taking
part will increase from 100 to 340, testing
approximately 4,500 residents and 9,500 staff.
Researchers will analyse how antibody and cellular
immunity to the virus differs among different groups
and help shape the planning and national public health
response to COVID-19 as well as wider social-care
policy.
This study will help complement the work the department
of health and social care (DHSC) is doing to support
the care sector. This includes this week’s launch of
visitation trials in a number of care homes with a roll
out planned across care homes in December. Protection
of staff and residents has been a priority throughout
the pandemic with 120,000 daily tests ringfenced, free
personal protective equipment (PPE) and more than
£1.1billion worth of support through the Infection
Control Fund.
Minister for Care
said:
Expanding this brilliant study, with the support of
UCL, is another step towards improving our
understanding of the virus.Testing people’s antibody
reaction to Covid-19 is crucial in helping us to
control the spread of the virus, particularly amongst
people who are vulnerable.
The more we know about this virus and are able to
control it, the safer it will be for people in care
homes.
The expansion will:
- provide a larger and more nationally representative
sample of care home residents and staff, allowing the
Vivaldi 2 study team to provide more robust estimates
across the population
- address important immunity research questions such
as whether individuals can be infected twice, how
quickly neutralising antibodies wane and whether the
immune response in the elderly is the same in younger
generations
- link immunity data with epidemiological data to
better understand the links between infection,
demography and clinical outcome on the elderly and the
impact of care-home characteristics on the spread of
the virus in the sector
- offer an opportunity to work with a wider range of
small care home chains and independent providers to
ensure results are representative of all care homes in
England
The Vivaldi 2 study uses trained phlebotomists to draw
blood from care home residents and staff which is then
used to test for the presence of antibodies for
COVID-19. This data is cross-referenced with
DHSC-delivered swab testing in care homes to analyse
prevalence of the virus over time.
Vivaldi 2 is led by University College London (UCL) and
funded by DHSC. It began in June 2020 and is predicted
to last to April 2022. The exact end date will be
determined by how prevalent COVID-19 is in the tested
care homes.
Dr Laura Shallcross of UCL Institute of Health
Informatics said:
Expanding the Vivaldi study will tell us how many
people living and working in care homes have been
infected with COVID-19, and whether being infected
once protects against future infections. This study
will help us protect the most vulnerable members of
society from this devastating infection.
Testing in these new homes is being phased in through
November.
Understanding both the antibody immunity and cellular
immunity responses as part of the expansion of the
original Vivaldi study will provide crucial data to
help inform future treatments for COVID-19, including
vaccine development.
