Invite to take part in Covid Study
Dear Parents and Carers
City Academy is taking part in the CoMMinS study, an urgent public health research study of Covid-19 transmission in schools. This study involves University of Bristol researchers visiting the school, in full PPE, to collect saliva samples from pupils and staff. The samples are collected non-invasively, without any discomfort, by dribbling a small amount of saliva into a tube. These samples then get tested for current infection in a University of Bristol lab, using a test that is as accurate as the “gold standard” NHS swab PCR test. Taking part in this study will provide the school community with an extra layer of assurance that City Academy is a Covid-safe environment.
This study is not related to the vaccination programme. Covid testing research remains important, despite the welcome roll-out of the vaccines. Vaccination protects most people from getting seriously ill with Covid, but scientists do not yet have a clear picture of how or whether the vaccine changes how Covid spreads. This is an important question that the CoMMinS study can help to answer, and the study team would like to invite pupils in Years 7 – 11 to take part whether they or their family members have been vaccinated or not.
The study team will be visiting the school, to collect saliva samples for testing, on Monday 29th and Tuesday 30th March. If you would like your child to take part, please read the study information sheet, and complete the consent form and admin details at this link, by midday on Tuesday 23rd March:
https://chdredcaplive.bris.ac.uk/redcap/surveys/?s=79TD7AT3TN&school=509
Your child will also need to confirm their consent online, so please have them with you when you sign up. If you have any questions about the research, please contact the study team by emailing [email protected] You can also find out more about the study by visiting their website: https://commins.org.uk/pupils_and_parents/
