Anyone been asked to take part in a research survey?

[JellyTots2009]

Received a pack today in the post with 'On Her Majesty's Service' printed at the top of envelope.

Inside it was a pack asking anyone over 2 years old in my household if they want to take part in a research study/survey where you do weekly tests for a month then once a month for 11 months.

It doesn't matter if you have had covid or not or if you have had your jabs or not. All can register to take part.

A person will come to deliver a swab and collect it once you are done.
You will be compensated with vouchers for completing each 'visit' by emails or post.

It did say in the pack we were randomly picked from a database so I was wondering if anyone else has received these packs? At first I thought it was a pack everyone received because it's addressed to 'the Occupier' but no you are selected.

My household are going to take part. We all do weekly tests for our job so might as well have a few benefits to go with it

Anyone else be joining?

Is this the ONS Study?

We've (DH and I) been doing it since January. It's been great to know that we have antibodies post vaccine, (although they did lose/drop one of my samples) and the vouchers have replaced some household equipment.

Yes we did t last year. We had weekly rhej monthly swabs - for the first one we got £50 each in vouchers and the remainder £25. It was great - I'd have helped for free of course! Unfortunately we had to drop out when we moved house.

Yep, we've been doing it since July last year

Yes we've been doing it for ages (the ONS one). Love the vouchers!

Just been asked to add in blood tests.

Yes, but wasn't asked to test. It was a questionnaire from imperial college I think

Been doing it since last June. Has been very helpful to have the vouchers for kids clothes/uniform/bastard sodding school shoes that they grow out of in two minutes

I didn't realise it had been going for some time! I thought it was a new thing.

Yes the vouchers will come in handy.

Yup. If I signed up someone would come into my home for around 3 hours to take blood and ask questions. This will be repeated every two weeks although subsequent visits will be around 90 minutes.

The Zoe app was much easier. Kit sent I did the blood and sent it back. Ok no vouchers. But there's easier ways to get vouchers from surveys on facebook, 20cogs a d more

Yes, have been doing it for nearly a year now. My children are all happy as they get the vouchers!
Last time we gave a blood sample too and it was interesting to get the results.

Yes but it wasn't the same one as yours. Can't remember what it was but it was just to take a PCR and send it off to them.

Yes, we had it about 6 weeks ago and rang to sign up. Still heard nothing, and when DH phoned again he was told they were massively oversubscribed.

I've just opened one of these very letters.

So far, 2 of us are doing it. I just need to check the with others.

There will be two adults and one secondary child who want to take part from my household.

Will register within the next few days, it's tricky though because there's only very few days and times we are all together. It changes weekly too so can't give specific times we will be together.
But we will try to make it work.

So although I read through the booklet, what does the person who drops off the swab do?

It says they don't enter the home but ask you questions, is this all done on the drive? It also says the person would show you how to swab (we do it weekly so wouldn't need a demo) but how would they do that? Also on the drive?

Just a little confused for these parts.

Flev I'll keep that in mind incase I don't hear anything

I haven’t had that one.

I have had:

• blood test for antibodies monthly for 6 months (UK BioBank)
• monthly questionnaire on symptoms and other health parameters (can’t remember who that’s for)
• clinical trial of inhaled steroids for older adults with positive Covid test (University of Oxford)
• one-off PCR test (ONS surveillance)
• and just received one from the ONS saying they’re going to ring me up and ask me questions about public messaging and support for people who are CEV.

I got some Amazon vouchers for one of them, can’t remember which.

We've been doing it since the autumn. They come and stand on the doorstep and hand over swab kits. We do the swabs inside and pass them back then usually I answer the questions for all 4 of us. Probably takes about 20 minutes in total. We (adults) did the blood test for the first time this week, that was pretty easy too.

I've not had a test one from ONS but have filled in a couple of surveys for them for vouchers, the last one being about my lifestyle and the impact that covid has had on it. Only a tenner for each but ok for 20 mins of my time.

Back at the beginning of the pandemic I volunteered for everything I could find including vaccine trials(turned down for that).
I do 3 different surveys, virus watch, covidence and another I can't remember. Also do monthly antibody tests for virus watch.
No vouchers though.

Yes. Sounds like the ONS one. We have been doing it for about a year. Vouchers are useful but I'm a bit concerned as my blood test came back negative for antibodies even after the second jab.

I've only ever had the React / Kings College one where they send you a postal PCR and you get nothing in return (other than a chance to self isolate if it comes back positive ). I've had that one three times so I'm jealous of all the people who are getting the vouchers.

They do stand on the doorstep. (they used to have to come into the house, but not any more, not now we do our own bloods)
They hand over the swab test ( we go to the bathroom to do ours - I find it easier with a mirror).
They ask a load of questions about how many people you've seen, have you been to anyone's house/ the shop etc, any symptoms, any other health conditions, working status etc.
They hand over the finger prick test, which we do in the dining room. (I'm getting better at it now!)
All given back to them in sealed tubes and envelopes and that's it.

Very easy and efficient. They ring at teatime the day before they are coming to arrange a time for the visit.

I just got another invitation this morning - a follow up to the BioBank antibody one. Because I told them I had had at least one vaccine when I did the test, they now want me to do another test to determine whether my antibodies are from infection or vaccination.

I tested positive on New Year’s Eve - interested to find out whether I still have antibodies to the N protein, which you only get from infection.

The ones I do for VirusWatch test for both types of antibodies.
I've just been invited to do another by Covidence (I think it's Queen Mary's).

If I do a blood test I don't know whether they will find any antibodies from when I had covid last November. I'm also fully jabbed since April

The ONS study doesn't differentiate between infection antibodies and vaccination ones. You just get a letter saying "positive, negative or test failed".
Since my first test was negative ( and I don't think I've had covid) I now assume my subsequent positive tests are vaccine- driven.