The GenOMICC COVID-19 Study is looking for people over the age of 18 who tested positively for COVID-19, and is running nationwide. This study is led by the GenOMICC consortium and Genomics England and aims to find out why some people are more severely affected by the virus than others by analysing and comparing whole genome sequences.
Since 2016 the GenOMICC study has been researching what genetic factors affect whether people become severely ill from an infection. With the help of the NIHR, the study has rapidly ramped up to investigate coronavirus infection, studying genes from hundreds of very unwell patients to help understand what treatments might help tackle COVID-19.
To do this, the study needs people who closely match the age, gender and ethnicity of the people who were severely affected. Since many of those with severe reactions were people from ethnic minority backgrounds or older people, the study is especially keen to hear from those groups.
It requires all participants to supply a small blood sample for sequencing and analysis.
If you would like to register to participate in the study, please visit the study website, where you can find further details in their patient and relative information section.
If the GenOMICC team find that you are a good match for an existing patient, either now or in future, they will contact you to ask you to take part.
To find out more, you can read an NIHR case study on the trial, or visit the study's website - https://genomicc.org/. If you are interested to take part, contact genomicc@roslin.ed.ac.uk.
