Press release issued:
9 March 2021
Young people living in the Bristol area are already helping University of Bristol researchers to understand how children’s immune systems respond to COVID-19, but even more children are needed to take part, especially those from ethnic minorities.
Research has shown that people from ethnic minority groups are at greater risk of becoming ill with COVID-19. It is important that studies into the virus are fully representative of the diverse populations in the UK so researchers can find out why this is.
The aim of the What's the STORY (Serum Testing Of Representative Youngsters) study is to help understand infectious diseases in the UK. One way people develop protection against infectious diseases is by developing antibodies, either after an infection or following a vaccination. Researchers are able to measure the antibodies to see how well protected people are from those infectious diseases.
The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) supported project is being run by the Bristol Children’s Vaccine Centre (BCVC) at Bristol Medical School, and the Oxford Vaccine Group which is part of the University of Oxford.
Working with Public Health England, the research team will develop a new way of surveying how well protected people are from infectious diseases by collecting blood samples from people who represent different groups across society.
Researchers will take a blood sample from children aged from zero to 19 years of age to look at their antibody levels against important infectious diseases. The study team is particularly interested in Group C meningococcus (MenC), diphtheria and COVID-19, which is a new human virus.
Dr Marion Roderick, the study's lead investigator, visiting Senior Lecturer at Bristol Medical School and consultant paediatrician at Bristol Children's Hospital, said: "The scientific community's understanding of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is improving every day. This research will help us understand whether we need to make any changes to the UK vaccine schedule and will tell us about the number of COVID-19 infections in the UK.
"From the research carried out so far it has become clear that people from minority ethnic groups are at greater risk of becoming sick with COVID-19 and we need to understand why and tackle this urgently through health research. If you are interested in helping with the study and you live in the Bristol area, please call the What's the STORY team on 0117 342 0160."
The study team is especially keen to hear from people from minority ethnic groups aged 0 to 19 from any Bristol postcode and children from birth to five years from any ethnicity from postcodes: BS2, BS3, BS8, BS20, BS37, BS41.
Participants will need to make one visit to the clinic, for a blood sample, which will take approximately 45 minutes.
The study team hope to recruit all participants by the end of April 2021.
Participation in the study is voluntary and a £20 voucher will be offered to cover time and travelling costs. Participants will have the right to withdraw at any point.
To find out more about the study and how to take part, visit the What's the STORY website, email story-study@bristol.ac.uk or tel 0117 342 0160.
Further information
About the Bristol Children's Vaccine Centre (BCVC)
The Bristol Children’s Vaccine Centre works within the University of Bristol and University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW) and is an independent research team of doctors, nurses and researchers working together to develop new, better ways to prevent and treat infectious diseases.
We carry out research studies on prevention of infection in babies, young children, teenagers and adults, and teach doctors and nurses about infections and immunisations right across the South West region.
About the National Institute for Health Research
The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) is the nation's largest funder of health and care research. The NIHR:
- funds, supports and delivers high quality research that benefits the NHS, public health and social care
- engages and involves patients, carers and the public in order to improve the reach, quality and impact of research
- attracts, trains and supports the best researchers to tackle the complex health and care challenges of the future
- invests in world-class infrastructure and a skilled delivery workforce to translate discoveries into improved treatments and services
- partners with other public funders, charities and industry to maximise the value of research to patients and the economy.
The NIHR was established in 2006 to improve the health and wealth of the nation through research, and is funded by the Department of Health and Social Care. In addition to its national role, the NIHR supports applied health research for the direct and primary benefit of people in low- and middle-income countries, using UK aid from the UK government.
About coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2)
The surface of the coronavirus particle has proteins sticking out of it known as Spike proteins which are embedded in a membrane. They have the appearance of tiny little crowns, giving the virus its name (corona). Inside the membrane is the viral genome wrapped up in other proteins. The genome contains all the genetic instruction to mass produce the virus. Once the virus attaches to the outside of a human cell, its membrane fuses with the human cell membrane and its genetic information passes into the human cell. Next, the virus instructs the cell to start replicating its genome and produce its proteins. These are then assembled into many new copies of the virus which, upon release, can infect many more cells. The viral proteins play diverse further roles in coronavirus pathology.
Support our COVID-19 research
Bristol's researchers are part of a global network of scientists responding urgently to the challenge of the coronavirus pandemic.
Find out how you can support their critical work
Bristol UNCOVER Group
In response to the COVID-19 crisis, researchers at the University of Bristol formed the Bristol COVID Emergency Research Group (UNCOVER) to pool resources, capacities and research efforts to combat this infection.
Bristol UNCOVER includes clinicians, immunologists, virologists, synthetic biologists, aerosol scientists, epidemiologists and mathematical modellers and has links to behavioural and social scientists, ethicists and lawyers.
Follow Bristol UNCOVER on Twitter at: twitter.com/BristolUncover
For more information about the University of Bristol’s coronavirus (COVID-19) research priorities visit: http://www.bristol.ac.uk/research/impact/coronavirus/research-priorities/
Bristol UNCOVER is supported by the Elizabeth Blackwell Institute.
Find out more about the Institute's COVID-19 research looking into five key areas: virus natural history, therapeutics and diagnostics research; epidemiology; clinical management; vaccines; and ethics and social science.
