Stratification of Clinically Vulnerable People for COVID-19 Risk Using Antibody Testing (STRAVINSKY)

Project summary:

This study aims to establish if antibody testing can identify which people remain at greatest risk of severe COVID-19 despite being vaccinated. The STRAVINSKY team will follow 3,000 participants, monitoring them over two years to determine their antibody levels and other factors, and compare this data to matched controls. 400 of them will provide blood, nasal and saliva samples to enable a deeper analysis of their immunity to COVID-19. This analysis will be used to build a better understanding of who is clinically most vulnerable to COVID-19.

If it is found that antibody levels are not an adequate predictor of risk, these additional samples will help to identify other laboratory tests that may help determine who is most vulnerable. It is hoped that the study’s findings will equip healthcare professionals to make decisions about when to give certain treatments or booster vaccine doses to people who are immunosuppressed.

People with relevant lived experience will be involved in shaping and influencing the research, and will give their perspectives on priorities and how best to communicate the results to the wider public.

Funders

Department of Health and Social Care, via the National Institute for Health Research

Leader researcher:

Professor Alex Richter

Lead institution:

University of Birmingham

Website:

Find out more about the STRAVINSKY study