Appraisal of COVID-19 Test, Trace and Isolate modelling approaches with the public and professional stakeholders

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, caused by infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, has sadly resulted in the illness and deaths of many people in the UK and abroad. Damages to health and wellbeing have occurred both directly from the disease and indirectly via its disruptive effects on society and the economy.

We are conducting academic research to understand how COVID-19 testing, contact tracing and isolation can best be designed in order to reduce transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and its associated harms. To do this, we develop mathematical models and simulations of the process of infection in the population and the processes of different testing policies and technologies, contact tracing and isolation strategies. We draw on what we know about the virus, but also need to consider how people are making contacts with each other and how they interact with testing, contact tracing and isolation policies. This evidence gives us insight into what strategies might be most effective and can be considered alongside behavioural and social research and studies conducted ‘in the real world’. Our research project, An analytical framework for Test, Trace and Isolate (TTI) in the UK, has been providing advice to policy-makers and public health via scientific advisory groups.

In order to develop useful modelling tools, we need to understand the experiences and views of members of the public who have heard about and been asked to engage in various aspects of testing, contact tracing and isolating for COVID-19. It is also important that we understand the perspectives of people working in different ways to deliver these TTI interventions and to ensure that our mathematical modelling reflects their priorities and experiences of the way these policies have worked in practice.

In the present study, we are interviewing members of the public and stakeholders about the assumptions and processes that we include in the models that we use to understand the potential effectiveness of different TTI strategies.

Thank you for your interest. This study concluded on 26th July 2021 and is not accepting new participants.

This research is funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the National Institute for Health research (NIHR) via the COVID-19 rapid response call.