COVID-OUT Publications

Nicholls G, Atkinson B, van Veldhoven K, Nicholls I, Coldwell M, Clarke A, Atchison CJ, Raja AI, Bennett AM, Morgan D, Pearce N, Fletcher T, Brickley EB, Chen Y. An outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 in a public-facing office in England. Occup Med (Lond). 2023 Dec 11:kqad100. doi: 10.1093/occmed/kqad100. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38078549.

Graham A, Raja AI, van Veldhoven K, Nicholls G, Simpson A, Atkinson B, Nicholls I, Higgins H, Cooke J, Bennett A, Morgan D, Keen C, Fletcher T, Pearce N, Atchison C, Brickley EB, Chen Y. A SARS-CoV-2 outbreak in a plastics manufacturing plant. BMC Public Health. 2023 Jun 5;23(1):1077. doi: 10.1186/s12889-023-16025-8. PMID: 37277762; PMCID: PMC10241115.

Raja AI, van Veldhoven K, Ewuzie A, Frost G, Sandys V, Atkinson B, Nicholls I, Graham A, Higgins H, Coldwell M, Simpson A, Cooke J, Bennett A, Barber C, Morgan D, Atchison C, Keen C, Fletcher T, Pearce N, Brickley EB, Chen Y. Investigation of a SARS-CoV-2 Outbreak at an Automotive Manufacturing Site in England. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 May 24;19(11):6400. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19116400. PMID: 35681985; PMCID: PMC9180680.

Chen Y, Atchison C, Atkinson B, Barber, C, Bennett, A, Brickley, E, Cooke, J, Dabrera, G, Fishwich, D, Fletcher, T, Graham, A, Higgins, H, Keen, C, Van Veldhoven, K, Verma, A, Curran, A. The COVID-OUT study protocol: COVID-19 outbreak investigation to understand workplace SARS-CoV-2 transmission in the United Kingdom [version 1; peer review: awaiting peer review]. Wellcome Open Res 2021, 6:201 (https://doi.org/10.12688/wellcomeopenres.17015.1)

Pearce N, Rhodes S, Stocking K, Pembrey L, van Veldhoven K, Brickley EB, Robertson S, Davoren D, Nafilyan V, Windsor-Shellard B, Fletcher T, van Tongeren M. Occupational differences in COVID-19 incidence, severity, and mortality in the United Kingdom: Available data and framework for analyses. Wellcome Open Res. 2023 Jan 13;6:102. doi: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.16729.2. PMID: 34141900; PMCID: PMC8188261.

Adanna Ewuzie’s reflection on her six-week internship, 21 Sept 2021

Adanna Ewuzie is a medical student at Queen’s University Belfast who will be taking a year out in 2021/22 to study an MSc in Global Health Science and Epidemiology at the University of Oxford. [Originally posted: https://www.lshtm.ac.uk/research/centres-projects-groups/electronic-health-records#news]

During the Summer of 2021, I undertook a jampacked, six-week internship at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) in collaboration with Health Data Research (HDR) UK. The internship was organised as part of the 10,000 Black Interns Programme. I applied because I wanted to understand what happens ‘behind the scenes’ when healthcare professionals see patients, i.e., what happens to their data and how this is applicable to research. I specifically applied to LSHTM because of its track-record in global health research, a subject I am deeply passionate about.

Each week of the internship offered a new opportunity to learn more skills and meet new people whether that be other interns at partner institutions, academics, and industry professionals. Within the first week, I had received training in data protection, the Clinical Practice Research Datalink, a briefing from my project supervisor and I was ready to go. In the second week, I attended the UCL Institute of Health Informatics’ work experience initiative where I was exposed to research ethics and governance, record linkage and bias in health data research.

My project was on the COVID-19 Outbreak Investigations to Understand Transmission Study (COVID-OUT). COVID-OUT falls under Theme 1 of the PROTECT COVID-19 National Core Study on Transmission and Environment. The aim of the study is to understand SARS-CoV-2 transmission routes and risk factors through investigation of outbreaks in a range of occupational settings. During my time at the School, I participated in the analysis and preparation of the outbreak investigation reports.

The project is co-opted by LSHTM, the Health and Safety Executive, Public Health England, and the University of Manchester. Therefore, through joining this project, I oversaw how epidemiological teams worked together and gained experience in outbreak investigations, which apply to all healthcare contexts. This has motivated me to continue to get involved with work at this scale in future. A highlight of the 6 weeks, working on this project, was the opportunity to co-present with my supervisor, Dr Elizabeth Brickley, at the International Festival of Public Health. It was a unique chance for me to improve my presentation skills and public speaking. I am grateful for my supervisor’s encouragements and ‘can-do’ attitude all throughout.

A running theme throughout the internship was of scholarship. I joined the LSHTM Health Equity Action Lab’s biweekly journal club focusing on decolonising global health. I attended panel talks and one-to-one sessions with both senior and junior academics and gleaned advice from both ends of the spectrum. Alongside this, I attended a series of careers workshops and even spoke with Senior Careers Consultant Penny Longman about pathways into careers in global health as a medic.

With 8 co-interns at other partner institutions, we undertook the HDR UK Technical Team Challenge. We worked well as a team, building on our strengths and weaknesses in skills like report writing, data profiling and data visualisation. Our strategy worked as we came 1st place out of all the teams. HDR UK also organised ‘Friday Takeovers’ where we interacted with representatives from academic and charitable institutions that are using data science to improve the lives of patients.

Through this internship I have gained a broadened understanding of health data science and contributing factors to COVID-19 outbreaks in the workplace, a network of like-minded people and increased confidence in my abilities. I would really encourage prospective applicants to apply and be open to projects and discussions you may not have encountered.

I would like to thank Prof Sinéad Langan, Prof Elizabeth Williamson, Paris Baptiste, and Jack Whitelegg from LSHTM for organising and supporting us throughout this internship. Thank you to my supervisors Dr Elizabeth Brickley, Dr Amber Raja and the team at COVID-OUT. I would also like to say a massive thank you to Tammy Palmer, partners at Health Data Research UK and to the 10,000 Black Interns Campaign. This has been a truly life-changing experience and I hope this kind of internship continues at the School.

Other publications on COVID-19

Wright PF, Prevost-Reilly AC, Natarajan H, Brickley EB, Connor RI, Wieland-Alter WF, Miele AS, Weiner JA, Nerenz RD, Ackerman ME. Longitudinal Systemic and Mucosal Immune Responses to SARS-CoV-2 Infection. J Infect Dis. 2022 Sep 28;226(7):1204-1214. doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiac065. PMID: 35188974; PMCID: PMC8903457.

Vandenbroucke JP, Brickley EB, Pearce N, Vandenbroucke-Grauls CMJE. The Evolving Usefulness of the Test-negative Design in Studying Risk Factors for COVID-19. Epidemiology. 2022 Mar 1;33(2):e7-e8. doi: 10.1097/EDE.0000000000001438. PMID: 34799477.

Vandenbroucke JP, Brickley EB, Vandenbroucke-Grauls CMJE, Pearce N. A Test-Negative Design with Additional Population Controls Can Be Used to Rapidly Study Causes of the SARS-CoV-2 Epidemic. Epidemiology. 2020 Nov;31(6):836-843. doi: 10.1097/EDE.0000000000001251. PMID: 32841988; PMCID: PMC7523580.

Pearce N, Lawlor DA, Brickley EB. Comparisons between countries are essential for the control of COVID-19. Int J Epidemiol. 2020 Aug 1;49(4):1059-1062. doi: 10.1093/ije/dyaa108. PMID: 32601669; PMCID: PMC7337754.

Brickley EB, Paixão ES. Covid-19: The time to shield all pregnant frontline workers is now. BMJ. 2020 May 4;369:m1792. doi: 10.1136/bmj.m1792. PMID: 32366583; PMCID: PMC7612195.