THE OFFICE for National Statistics (ONS) COVID-19 Infection Survey will be expanded from regularly testing 28,000 people per fortnight in England to 150,000 by October, the Health Secretary has said.

The survey, tracking the virus in the general population, 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 provide 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 of testing in the North West of England.

Participants

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.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: “We are developing the capacity to test for coronavirus on an unprecedented scale and undertaking one of the biggest expansions of surveillance testing we have ever seen.

“This ONS survey will be a crucial part of this work – improving our understanding of the rate of infection in the population and how many people have antibodies.

 “This will allow us to further narrow down the areas potentially affected by local outbreaks and continue our fight to curb the spread ahead of winter.

Nation

“I urge anyone who is able to take part in this study to do so – you will be playing a vital role in the fight against the virus. The data and insight gathered will help inform our national, regional and local responses to the pandemic, allowing this nation to get back to the things we love doing.” 

Led by the Office for National Statistics and The University of Oxford in partnership with the Departments of Health across the UK, the survey uses routine swabbing and antibody testing to provide insight into the rate of infection and antibody levels in the community.