Outreach health-care services for people experiencing exclusion in high-income countries.

Inclusion health aims to prevent and address health and social inequalities for people experiencing exclusion, such as people experiencing homelessness, people who have a history of contact with the criminal justice system, people who use drugs, sex workers, vulnerable migrants, victims of modern slavery and human trafficking, and Romany Gypsy, Roma, and Travellers communities. These populations have poor health outcomes and disproportionate health inequities, partly resulting from inadequate health-care access. Outreach services can improve health-care access, but there is little evidence of how outreach operates successfully.

Estimating the risk of post-COVID condition in deprived communities, migrants and ethnic minorities in England: findings from Virus Watch-a prospective community cohort study.

Background: Deprived communities, migrants and ethnic minorities were disproportionately affected by COVID-19 and may, therefore, be at a higher risk of post-COVID condition (PCC). This analysis, using data from the Virus Watch study, investigates how deprivation, migration status and ethnic minority status influence PCC risk in both the full cohort (all regardless of infection status) and those with a confirmed COVID-19 infection.

Methods: A subset of participants from Virus Watch, a prospective community cohort study in England, were included.

Anti-nucleocapsid and anti-spike antibody trajectories in people with post-covid condition versus acute-only infections: a nested longitudinal case-control study within the Virus Watch prospective cohort.

People with Post-Covid Condition (PCC) may demonstrate aberrant immune responses post-infection; however, serological follow-up studies are limited. We aim to compare SARS-CoV-2 serological responses to infection and vaccination in people who develop PCC versus those with an acute infection only. Participants (n = 2010) are a sub-cohort of the Virus Watch community cohort in England who provided monthly finger-prick serological samples.

Long-term outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 variants and other respiratory infections: evidence from the Virus Watch prospective cohort in England.

This study compared the likelihood of long-term sequelae following infection with SARS-CoV-2 variants, other acute respiratory infections (ARIs) and non-infected individuals. Participants (n=5,630) were drawn from Virus Watch, a prospective community cohort investigating SARS-CoV-2 epidemiology in England. Using logistic regression, we compared predicted probabilities of developing long-term symptoms (>2 months) during different variant dominance periods according to infection status (SARS-CoV-2, other ARI, or no infection), adjusting for confounding by demographic and clinical factors and vaccination status.

The incidence of COVID-19-related hospitalisation in migrants in the UK: Findings from the Virus Watch prospective community cohort study.

Background: Migrants in the United Kingdom (UK) may be at higher risk of SARS-CoV-2 exposure; however, little is known about their risk of COVID-19-related hospitalisation during waves 1-3 of the pandemic.

Methods: We analysed secondary care data linked to Virus Watch study data for adults and estimated COVID-19-related hospitalisation incidence rates by migration status. To estimate the total effect of migration status on COVID-19 hospitalisation rates, we ran mixed-effect Poisson regression for wave 1 (01/03/2020-31/08/2020; wildtype), and mixed-effect negative binomial regressions for waves 2 (01/09/2020-31/05/2021; Alpha) and 3 (01/06/2020-31/11/2021; Delta).

Eyeglasses and risk of COVID-19 transmission-analysis of the Virus Watch Community Cohort study.

Objectives: The importance of SARS-CoV-2 transmission via the eyes is unknown, with previous studies mainly focusing on protective eyewear in healthcare settings. This study aimed to test the hypothesis that wearing eyeglasses is associated with a lower risk of COVID-19.

Methods: Participants from the Virus Watch prospective community cohort study responded to a questionnaire on the use of eyeglasses and contact lenses.

Small numbers, big impact: making a utilitarian case for the contribution of inclusion health to population health in England.

Inclusion health groups make up a small proportion of the general population, so despite the extreme social exclusion and poor health outcomes that these groups experience, they are often overlooked in public health investment and policy development. In this paper, we demonstrate that a utilitarian argument can be made for investment in better support for inclusion health groups despite their small size. That is, by preventing social exclusion, there is the potential for large aggregate health benefits to the whole population.

Bayesian reconstruction of SARS-CoV-2 transmissions highlights substantial proportion of negative serial intervals.

Background: The serial interval is a key epidemiological measure that quantifies the time between the onset of symptoms in an infector-infectee pair. It indicates how quickly new generations of cases appear, thus informing on the speed of an epidemic. Estimating the serial interval requires to identify pairs of infectors and infectees.

Symptom profiles of community cases infected by influenza, RSV, rhinovirus, seasonal coronavirus, and SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern.

Respiratory viruses that were suppressed through previous lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic have recently started to co-circulate with SARS-CoV-2. Understanding the clinical characteristics and symptomatology of different respiratory viral infections can help address the challenges related to the identification of cases and the understanding of SARS-CoV-2 variants' evolutionary patterns. Flu Watch (2006-2011) and Virus Watch (2020-2022) are household community cohort studies monitoring the epidemiology of influenza, respiratory syncytial virus, rhinovirus, seasonal coronavirus, and SARS-CoV-2, in England and Wales.

Severe Infection and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease: A Multicohort Study.

Background: The excess risk of cardiovascular disease associated with a wide array of infectious diseases is unknown. We quantified the short- and long-term risk of major cardiovascular events in people with severe infection and estimated the population-attributable fraction.

Methods: We analyzed data from 331 683 UK Biobank participants without cardiovascular disease at baseline (2006-2010) and replicated our main findings in an independent population from 3 prospective cohort studies comprising 271 329 community-dwelling participants from Finland (baseline 1986-2005).

Bayesian reconstruction of household transmissions to infer the serial interval of COVID-19 by variants of concern: analysis from a prospective community cohort study (Virus Watch).

Background: The serial interval is a key epidemiological measure that quantifies the time between an infector's and an infectee's onset of symptoms. This measure helps investigate epidemiological links between cases, and is an important parameter in transmission models used to estimate transmissibility and inform control strategies. The emergence of multiple variants of concern (VOC) during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has led to uncertainties about potential changes in the serial interval of COVID-19.

Comparative effectiveness of different primary vaccination courses on mRNA-based booster vaccines against SARs-COV-2 infections: a time-varying cohort analysis using trial emulation in the Virus Watch community cohort.

Background: The Omicron B.1.1.

Interventions to improve health and the determinants of health among sex workers in high-income countries: a systematic review.

Many sex worker populations face high morbidity and mortality, but data are scarce on interventions to improve their health. We did a systematic review of health and social interventions to improve the health and wider determinants of health among adult sex workers in high-income countries. We searched MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, EthOS, OpenGrey, and Social Care Online, as well as the Global Network of Sex Work Projects and the Sex Work Research Hub for studies published between Jan 1, 2005 and Dec 16, 2021 (PROSPERO CRD42019158674).

Human mobility variations in response to restriction policies during the COVID-19 pandemic: An analysis from the Virus Watch community cohort in England, UK.

Objective: Since the outbreak of COVID-19, public health and social measures to contain its transmission (e.g., social distancing and lockdowns) have dramatically changed people's lives in rural and urban areas globally.

Hospital-based preventative interventions for people experiencing homelessness in high-income countries: A systematic review.

Background: People experiencing homelessness have significant unmet needs and high rates of unplanned care. We aimed to describe preventative interventions, defined in their broadest sense, for people experiencing homelessness in a hospital context. Secondary aims included mapping outcomes and assessing intervention effectiveness.

Spike-antibody responses to COVID-19 vaccination by demographic and clinical factors in a prospective community cohort study.

Vaccination constitutes the best long-term solution against Coronavirus Disease-2019; however, vaccine-derived immunity may not protect all groups equally, and the durability of protective antibodies may be short. We evaluate Spike-antibody responses following BNT162b2 or ChAdOx1-S vaccination amongst SARS-CoV2-naive adults across England and Wales enrolled in a prospective cohort study (Virus Watch). Here we show BNT162b2 recipients achieved higher peak antibody levels after two doses; however, both groups experience substantial antibody waning over time.

Nucleocapsid and spike antibody responses following virologically confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection: an observational analysis in the Virus Watch community cohort.

Objectives: Seroprevalence studies can provide a measure of SARS-CoV-2 cumulative incidence, but a better understanding of spike and nucleocapsid (anti-N) antibody dynamics following infection is needed to assess the longevity of detectability.

Methods: Adults aged ≥18 years, from households enrolled in the Virus Watch prospective community cohort study in England and Wales, provided monthly capillary blood samples, which were tested for spike antibody and anti-N. Participants self-reported vaccination dates and past medical history.

Hand Hygiene Practices and the Risk of Human Coronavirus Infections in a UK Community Cohort.

Hand hygiene may mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in community settings; however, empirical evidence is limited. Given reports of similar transmission mechanisms for COVID-19 and seasonal coronaviruses, we investigated whether hand hygiene impacted the risk of acquiring seasonal coronavirus infections. Data were drawn from three successive winter cohorts (2006-2009) of the England-wide Flu Watch study.

Incidence, healthcare-seeking behaviours, antibiotic use and natural history of common infection syndromes in England: results from the Bug Watch community cohort study.

Background: Better information on the typical course and management of acute common infections in the community could inform antibiotic stewardship campaigns. We aimed to investigate the incidence, management, and natural history of a range of infection syndromes (respiratory, gastrointestinal, mouth/dental, skin/soft tissue, urinary tract, and eye).

Methods: Bug Watch was an online prospective community cohort study of the general population in England (2018-2019) with weekly symptom reporting for 6 months.