Nationwide Increasing Community Coronavirus Infection, REACT Study Shows | Imperial News

According to the latest report from the largest household COVID-19 test study, 1 in 170 tests in the UK continues to increase as positive for infection.

An analysis of cotton swab tests performed by 175,000 people between September 18th and October 5th found that the virus infects about 45,000 people daily.

According to a study led by Imperial College London, 0.60% of the population, or 60 per 10,000 people, were infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Compared to 0.13% in the previous test round..

“Our solid findings portray growing epidemic concerns across the UK.” Professor Paul Elliott REACT Program Director, Imperial

Infections are increasing nationwide, but there are significant regional differences, with the study identifying many virus hotspots and confirming the highest levels of infection in the northwest, Yorkshire, Humber, and northeast. it was done.

Adolescents between the ages of 18 and 24 are most likely to test positive for the virus, with an estimated 1 in 80 infected. We also found that the infection rate for people over the age of 65 was rising fastest. This was eight times the number of infections in the previous report.

These results are as follows: Interim report released last weekContains data from the first 80,000 swabs during the survey period.

Survey results from Real-time assessment of community infections (REACT 1) Program Available in preprint report Submitted for peer review.

Professor Paul Elliott, director of the Imperial REACT program at the Faculty of Public Health, said: Certain areas are more severely affected, but if left undiminished, the prevalence of infection can continue nationwide, leading to unnecessary deaths from illness and increased levels of illness. “

Regional differences

The REACT 1 study tracks the current level of coronavirus infection in the community by testing more than 150,000 randomly selected people monthly for two weeks. Participants will be selected from the GP list to secure a nationally representative sample. Volunteers take a cotton swab from their nose and throat at home and analyze it in the laboratory using a technique called RT-PCR.

“The scale of our ongoing research means that we can provide details on how the UK epidemic is changing over time and identify the most affected communities and regions. “ Professor Stephen Riley Professor of Imperial Infectious Disease Dynamics

Of the 174,949 swabs analyzed, 824 were positive for the virus, with a national average prevalence of 0.60%, which is about 1 in 170 people with the virus at a time. .. At the national level, infections are doubling every 29 days, with an R rate of 1.16, which can range from 1.05 to 1.27. This means that on average 10 infected people will infect about 12 people with the virus.

The high number of positive swabs allowed researchers to estimate R numbers across different geographic regions. They showed the highest rates of R in Yorkshire and Hamburg, West Midlands and the Northwest, not even across the country (1.37, 1.33, 1.27, respectively). The R in London was 0.97.

Prevalence also varied by region and was highest in the northwest (1.02%), northeast (0.91%), and Yorkshire and the Humber (0.63%). The lowest rate was 0.25%, found in the southeast. The prevalence in London was 0.45%.

Professor Stephen Riley, author of the study and professor of imperial infectious disease dynamics, said: .. This resolution is important to enable agile and timely public health response. “

Non-uniform effect

The findings also showed that the virus had a disproportionate effect on several groups. The highest rate was found in Asians, twice as likely as whites (0.9% vs. 0.45%). Blacks also showed a high infection rate of 0.73%.

In addition, the study identified an association between household size and deprivation, with prevalence being highest in households of 6 or higher (0.8% or higher) and those living in the poorest areas (0.77%).

By age, the prevalence was highest at 1.21% between the ages of 18 and 24. The prevalence over age 65 has increased eight-fold from 0.04% to 0.33% compared to previous reports.

Coronavirus pandemic tracking

“We want the people who receive the letter from us to join us in the next round, so that we can regain a series of powerful results to support government decision-making.” Kelly beaver Managing Director-Public Relations, Ipsos MORI

The REACT program is a series of studies that monitor how the virus spreads across the country. It is carried out in partnership with Ipsos MORI and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust on behalf of the Ministry of Health.

Kelly Beaver, Managing Director of Public Relations at Ipsosmori, said: “More than 175,000 people participated in this round and it has been a big hit. The results of this study are so important during the pandemic that we would like to thank everyone who participated. I will. “

REACT 2, another division of the program, Antibody finger prick test Monitor past infections throughout the United Kingdom.Results of the first 100,000 people tested Already announced And we expect soon to see more 100,000 people in the next round.