Huge expansion of ONS-led testing study will provide new insight into spread of COVID-19 across the UK. Office for National Statistics (ONS) to significantly expand infection survey to enrol 400,000 people in England, making it the country’s largest study tracking the coronavirus (COVID-19) in the general population.
New data will support rapid testing and diagnosis of COVID-19 on a national and local level, helping to narrow down the areas of concern.
Survey coverage now includes Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland as well as England after successful pilot. The ONS COVID-19 Infection Survey, tracking the virus in the general population, will expand from regularly testing 28,000 people per fortnight in England to 150,000 by October, the Health Secretary announces today. The survey aims to increase to 400,000 people across the entire project in England.
The ONS has also partnered with Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to extend the survey across the four nations – making this the UK’s largest COVID-19 surveillance survey.
The expanded study will play a crucial role in providing extensive, weekly data on the spread of infection, supporting rapid testing and diagnosis of COVID-19 both nationally and in areas of concern. The ONS will prioritise ramping up in the North West of England and London in light of recent upticks in infection rates in these areas.
Letters have already been sent out to tens of thousands of homes inviting new participants to take part in the survey. Anyone who receives a letter asking them to participate in the study is encouraged to do so.
www.ons.gov.uk/news/news/newinsightintocovid19tobegainedfromhugeboosttonationaltestingstudyledbytheofficefornationalstatistics
There is nothing "iffy" about the ONS BB and 400,000 is hardly a small sample.
