In November 2022 the SARS-CoV2 Immunity and Reinfection Evaluation study, or SIREN for brief, expanded to review flu and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV).

The COVID-19 pandemic supplied a masterclass in how one can quickly construct understanding of a virus – with new research rolled out, unprecedented ranges of information collected, and scores of devoted researchers tasked with translating this knowledge into solutions in regards to the virus.

What’s SIREN?

SIREN is a nationwide research involving over 44,000 healthcare staff at 135 NHS organisations. The SIREN research was established early within the COVID-19 pandemic, and we have now been following members for over two years now – amassing common PCR swabs and blood samples from an extremely devoted cohort of NHS staff who volunteer their time.

Flu, or influenza, is a extremely infectious respiratory virus. Within the UK the flu season runs from round October to March, with most cases occurring between December and February.

Every year flu is a serious space of focus for healthcare staff and researchers aiming to guard the UK inhabitants. This contains the event and rollout of a vaccine, offering a seasonal data marketing campaign on the virus, and treating those that turn out to be actually unwell.

We noticed diminished flu transmission leading to decrease flu ranges in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, because of social distancing measures and widespread use of face coverings. The stress-free of those measures implies that flu is circulating at greater ranges, growing the burden on healthcare settings.

SIREN may even examine the affect of RSV an infection on healthcare staff as a part of this enlargement. Just like the flu, RSV is a extremely infectious respiratory virus, and accounts for over half one million GP appointments and over 40,000 hospitalisations a yr, largely affecting younger kids and the aged.

Gaps in our information

This has been a troublesome winter for the NHS and we all know that flu places a pressure on the system every year. Studying extra in regards to the burden of flu and different respiratory viruses on each the NHS and wider inhabitants is essential. We don’t presently have correct estimates of the degrees of flu circulating amongst healthcare staff.

One cause for that is that we have no idea how many individuals have flu with out experiencing signs. As well as, we don’t but perceive how flu interacts with COVID-19 and what affect this will likely have.  That is notably essential now that we have now moved right into a section within the pandemic the place safety measures have diminished, and flu and COVID-19 are circulating on the identical time.

Figuring out extra about flu, together with RSV and COVID-19, might assist hospitals and coverage makers plan successfully for future winters. It’s essential to know the extent of the burden respiratory viruses place on healthcare staff in order that employers can take care of the well being and wellbeing of workers, which is essential in its personal proper and the muse of high-quality affected person care.

How is the SIREN research seeking to fill these information gaps

Evaluation of SIREN samples has helped the UK to guage the immune response to COVID-19, supplied perception into COVID-19 reinfections and has helped us to construct an understanding of the extent of safety provided by vaccines. SIREN has helped reply a few of the most urgent questions on COVID-19, enabling decision-makers – each nationwide and regionally – to regulate the unfold of the illness.

SIREN is now turning its attentions to flu and RSV in addition to COVID-19. SIREN is uniquely positioned to review the affect of extra respiratory viruses – taking advantage of the samples supplied by our improbable cohort, the info methods we have now constructed and the analysis collaborations throughout the UK we have now solid, to assist reply essentially the most urgent questions.

A few of the key questions we hope to reply are:

• What are the degrees of flu in healthcare workers?
• How many individuals with flu haven’t any signs?
• How efficient is the influenza vaccination towards an infection?
• What signs do members expertise throughout respiratory infections?
• What number of sick days do respiratory viruses trigger in healthcare staff?

We wish to thank the NHS organisations, analysis groups and lab workers throughout the UK who’ve made the SIREN Flu and Winter Pressures sub-study doable, along with every NHS workers member taking part – we couldn’t do that with out you.

The SIREN Flu and Winter Pressures sub-study is funded by UKHSA with assist from Public Well being Scotland, Public Well being Wales and the Public Well being Company Northern Eire. We’re happy to share that the sub-study has additionally just lately been awarded grant funding by Well being Information Analysis UK (HDR UK). SIREN is one among 16 analysis research chosen to look at how winter pressures confronted by the NHS might be eased.

You will discover extra details about the SIREN research here.