Optimising Covid-19 Testing System (OCTS)
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Sussex
Department Name: University of Sussex Business School
Abstract
This study asks how leading countries are organising and using national and regional diagnostic testing systems for Covid19 ('testing systems') in order to reduce Covid-19 mortality per capita in their populations, to avoid or shorten 'lock-downs', and reduce economic impacts from the pandemic. We will explain how testing systems have been shaped during the pandemic, and how challenges related to testing are overcome. The research will span North America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia as well as the UK.
The project builds on an established Covid-19 UK research and knowledge exchange hub at the University of Sussex that has been facilitating rapid dialogue and dissemination of research on Covid-19 diagnostic testing between the international research team and policy makers in the UK and beyond. The hub has a track-record of reporting results that have been widely welcomed and valued by the UK civil service and reported widely to public audiences in the media. As the pandemic continues, understanding the use of testing systems remains vital to optimise the Covid-19 response and save lives. With innovation and learning continuing (e.g. around the UK government's ambitious mass-testing programme), we propose to undertake further comparative research to share lessons across contexts.
In order to support Covid-19 responses internationally, we will engage with governments and share deliverables from the early months of this 15-month project. Additionally, to inform preparations for future outbreaks and pandemics, we will
contribute to national and international fora seeking to learn lessons from the current crisis.
The project builds on an established Covid-19 UK research and knowledge exchange hub at the University of Sussex that has been facilitating rapid dialogue and dissemination of research on Covid-19 diagnostic testing between the international research team and policy makers in the UK and beyond. The hub has a track-record of reporting results that have been widely welcomed and valued by the UK civil service and reported widely to public audiences in the media. As the pandemic continues, understanding the use of testing systems remains vital to optimise the Covid-19 response and save lives. With innovation and learning continuing (e.g. around the UK government's ambitious mass-testing programme), we propose to undertake further comparative research to share lessons across contexts.
In order to support Covid-19 responses internationally, we will engage with governments and share deliverables from the early months of this 15-month project. Additionally, to inform preparations for future outbreaks and pandemics, we will
contribute to national and international fora seeking to learn lessons from the current crisis.
Publications
Barberá-Tomás D
(2023)
Who can "Test. Test. Test."? The interplay between boundary work and institutions in the organisation of diagnostic testing for COVID-19
in Innovation
Chekar C
(2022)
COVID-19 Exceptionalism: Explaining South Korean Responses
in East Asian Science, Technology and Society: An International Journal
Hogarth, Stuart
(2021)
Analysis of the impact of new regulations on UK market for COVID-19 diagnostics
| Description | The Optimising Coronavirus Testing Systems (OCTS) project brought together a multidisciplinary research team to investigate the national diagnostic testing systems of eight study countries, in real time, during the COVID-19 pandemic. The project has made a number of contributions, including the following: Exploring the effectiveness of Test Trace and Isolate (TTI) systems The UK's TTI system has been characterised as expensive and of low quality in the UK press, and by the influential Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee. An OCTS paper quantitatively measuring the effect of different TTI policies on excess deaths in our study countries, found that higher capacity testing systems were correlated with reduced excess deaths, where these were due to COVID-19. This complements the Canna and Rúm models used by DHSC, which focus instead on the role that TTI systems played in reducing COVID-19 transmission. Moreover, the OCTS team contributed to several BBC Radio 4 programmes and numerous newspaper articles that compared the performance of UK TTI systems with those in other countries. For example, PI (Prof Hopkins) and team member Prof Sibylle Gaisser from Hochschule Ansbach in Germany, appeared on the BBC Radio 4 program 'More or Less', to explore the relative cost of the UK's testing system when compared with Germany's. Their analysis highlighted that the actual costs of the two systems did not support the view that the UK system was much more expensive. Questioning the legacy of the UK's TTI system When comparing the structure of national PCR testing systems that supported TTI activities, the OCTS team demonstrated that the UK TTI system was unusually centralised, relative to other countries, and uniquely its laboratory capacity was largely built separately to pre-existing diagnostic testing laboratories of the UK's healthcare systems. An initial justification for the Lighthouse lab network was the role it might play post-pandemic in other disease areas. However, interviewed stakeholders agreed the future role of the Lighthouse Lab network had remained unclear, while in early 2023 the final Lighthouse Lab ceased operations. In contrast the scale-up of PCR capacity in other countries studied built on pre-existing laboratory capacity, supporting diagnostics systems with more funding and equipment for other operations post-pandemic. Assessing the impact of better regulation for COVID-19 diagnostic tests The OCTS team produced a rapid response report for the UK DHSC to analyse the impact of transitioning to new regulations for the UK market for COVID-19 diagnostics, which fed directly into the UK's Government regulatory impact assessment [link]. Specifically, the team identified costs and potential impacts associated with higher regulatory controls, supporting the UK's move away from reliance on self-certified CE-marking. These findings are being prepared for academic publication. Exploring the challenges of public and private testing systems at international borders A further article submitted for publication includes a detailed comparison of the organisation of diagnostic testing systems for travelers at international borders. For the testing of incoming travelers, which countries deemed most important in reducing case importation, the UK was found to be unusual in the extent to which the government relied on private firms and an open market to provide travelers with testing services, and identified a number of distinct challenges arising from this. Comparative analysis demonstrates that other countries relied on more on public testing systems or public funding to support such systems to a much higher degree. While facing distinct challenges, these public systems were subject to much less criticism domestically relative to the situation in the UK. The authors argue these findings should be seen the context of government's commitments to the 2005 International Health Regulations. |
| Exploitation Route | The team has worked collaboratively with the Government's International Comparators Joint Unit, DHSC, The World Health Organisation, and Finddx to ensure that experiences from the team, and findings are shared. Findings have also been widely communicated in the media. Academic papers remain in preparation, and will also have associated media/ policy communications work around their eventual publication. |
| Sectors | Healthcare |
| URL | https://www.octs.info/ |
| Description | The team have worked extensively to communicate key messages from the project's research. This has included: - Appearances on BBC Television News (Feb 24th 2022), BBC Radio 4 (several times) - Articles in the broadsheet press, such as The Financial Times - Contributions to policy processes - feeding into the Cabinet Office (comparing design of testing systems internationally) and DHSC (comparing design of testing systems internationally, and regulation of test kits) - Support for international NGO, Finddx (providing detailed information on the quality of Covid tests) - Support for the WHO, in consideration of pandemic preparedness |
| First Year Of Impact | 2021 |
| Sector | Healthcare |
| Impact Types | Policy & public services |
| Description | 15 page OCTS 'Short focused reports' on responses to areas of enduring transmission |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to a national consultation/review |
| Description | 2 page 'Response to Travel Scenario questions' for XXXX by OCTS team |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to a national consultation/review |
| Description | Contribution to Africa CDC self-testing interim guidance document through FIND |
| Geographic Reach | Africa |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to new or Improved professional practice |
| URL | https://africacdc.org/download/interim-guidance-on-covid-19-rapid-antigen-selftesting-to-african-uni... |
| Description | DHSC Commission on Self Isolation: OCTS report |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to a national consultation/review |
| Description | Input into report on Value for Money of Test and Trace |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to a national consultation/review |
| Description | International organisation database management updating and cleaning |
| Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to new or Improved professional practice |
| Impact | By ensuring the information provided on FIND's test directory database is as accurate as possible, it enables regulators from across the world to accurately assess the most appropriate actions for them regarding pursuing certain COVID-19 tests for their own national context. FIND's database is trusted as an accurate source of information by regulators across the world, and the expertise of team members in this area contributed to this continued reputation. |
| URL | https://www.finddx.org/covid-19/test-directory/ |
| Description | PHE Independent High Risk AGP Review Panel member |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
| URL | https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/independent-high-risk-agp-panel |
| Description | Response to UKHSA inquiry into South Korea's pandemic preparedness and learning lessons from prior MERS outbreaks |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to a national consultation/review |
| Description | Short report on trigger symptoms and isolation facilities |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to a national consultation/review |
| Description | TTI Report on Winter 2021/2022: OCTS report |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to a national consultation/review |
| Description | Team member's membership to the UK Advisory Committee on Antimicrobial Prescribing, Resistance and Healthcare Associated Infection |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Membership of a guideline committee |
| URL | https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/advisory-committee-on-antimicrobial-prescribing-resistance-and-... |
| Description | Collaboration with the International Comparators Joint Unit (ICJU) |
| Organisation | Cabinet Office |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | The research team has established a link with the ICJU as part of the co-development and dissemination activities of the project. This has involved discussing emerging areas of research interest for government and seeking to address these through our research. Our research has been combined with other streams of data available to ICJU in order to assist them in producing reports for policy makers in government. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The ICJU has provided a regular point of contact and regular meetings for the research team to discuss emerging areas of mutual research interest and facilitated discussions with relevant staff. These discussions are particularly helpful for the research team to understand how their research can best be delivered at a time and in a form that is most useful for policy makers. |
| Impact | An outcome from the collaboration has been the rapid sharing of research findings with ICJU, and the incorporation of these into relevant internal reports. The collaboration covers subject matter that is inherently interdisciplinary, spanning the social sciences (especially Science Policy), and the life sciences, including medicine. |
| Start Year | 2020 |
| Description | "CSIC Investiga"(2021) Issue 1 - project mention |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | The project was described in issue 1 of "CSIC Investiga"(2021), the CSIC (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, the Spanish Council for Scientific Research) dissemination journal (p.45). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://digital.csic.es/handle/10261/229369 |
| Description | A team from the Universitat Politècnica de València participates in an international study of six countries that seeks to offer useful conclusions for political decision-making in the management of the pandemic |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Spanish media source castellón plaza covered the research of the Optimizing Coronavirus Testing Systems project, interviewing team member David Barberá on the scope of the project. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | https://castellonplaza.com/la-ciencia-extrae-lecciones-de-la-pandemia-el-rastreo-desigual-penaliza-a... |
| Description | Ansbach University news publication of OCTS research project |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | University press release covering the project and Prof. Dr. Sibylle Gaisser's contribution to the German Team's work, and the contribution of the project to informing the scientific basis to optimal test and trace systems in Germany. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://www.hs-ansbach.de/startseite/news-detail/optimierung-von-coronavirus-test-systemen/ |
| Description | Authored Research Professional News article: Covid clouds government's life sciences vision. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Creaking NHS will struggle to build closer ties with research and industry, says Michael Hopkins |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-views-of-the-uk-2021-7-covid-clouds-government-s... |
| Description | British Infection Association webinar hosted by OCTS team member |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | British Infection Association webinar hosted by team member Martin Llewelyn, regarding COVID-19 management. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | http://www.britishinfection.org/guidelines-resources/covid-19 |
| Description | Financial Times article: Britain's low-earners fall foul of rules on self-isolation. Choon Key Chekar coverage of South Korean Isolation support |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | For a January 2021 Financial Times article: Britain's low-earners fall foul of rules on self-isolation, team member Choon Key Chekar provided coverage of South Korean Isolation support, as a means of comparison with the UK who experienced comparatively high levels of non-compliance. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://www.ft.com/content/22544fbf-a5dd-4b3c-99c7-1341cb2b0eb5 |
| Description | Financial Times article: England's test and trace programme puts out tenders for contracts worth £12bn |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Team member Prof Sibylle Gaisser provided expertise on Germany's Test and Trace system, as a comparator with that of England, where criticism over high costs was recognized. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://www.ft.com/content/ca9ec334-c69e-449e-a9ac-8ba5d45e8896 |
| Description | Heart Sussex radio - Josh moon interview 30/11/2021 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | OCTS team member interview regarding measures impacts on PCR testing Uni of Sussex expert Joshua moon has told heart he's not sure the measures will have a huge impact on cases ECR testing... |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://eu.vocuspr.com/ViewNewsOnDemand.aspx?ArticleID=3639410_57919_271287 |
| Description | HuffPost article: How Can You Tell If You're Immune After Having The Covid Jab? Media response regarding antibody tests. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Media response regarding antibody tests. If you decide to use an antibody test, there are a number of things to bear in mind. Dr Joshua Moon, research fellow in the Science Policy Research Unit at the University of Sussex Business School, says the ability of non-lab-based tests is variable. There's also a high variation in how accurate tests are when used on blood taken from a finger, as opposed to drawn by a professional. Another issue is the unknowns around how protective antibodies are, he says, because immunity doesn't just involve antibodies but T cells and B cells, too - more on this later. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/how-to-tell-if-you-are-immune-after-having-the-covid-jab_uk_6... |
| Description | La Libre (Belgium) Media article on Germany's testing system |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Germany's secrets to being at the forefront of testing. Team member Sibylle Gaisser provided expertise on Germany's test and trace system, considered to be exemplary at that point of the pandemic (Oct 2020). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | https://www.lalibre.be/international/europe/2020/10/11/les-secrets-de-lallemagne-pour-etre-a-la-poin... |
| Description | Media response - Research Professional News |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Media response by OCTS team member - Research Professional News article on COVID testing Joshua Moon, a research fellow in sustainability methods at the Science Policy Research Unit at the University of Sussex Business School, said the report's recommendations made sense but did not go "far enough" on tackling the "complexity in communicating the nuance around these tests". "Testing isn't just the test and the result but what people do with it," he said. Moon also questioned whether the government's recent proposed Covid-19 testing regulation mechanism is "up to the task." In April the government announced proposals for "a validation regime that would require manufacturers to register via an online portal", "submit data for a desk-based assessment" and "provide tests to undergo independent laboratory-based validation to ascertain their specificity, sensitivity and limits of detection using range of standardised samples". |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-charities-and-societies-2021-6-proper-assessment... |
| Description | Media response to DUK News COVID testing article. Which countries are REALLY winning the race to beat coronavirus? |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Media response to DUK News COVID testing article. Which countries are REALLY winning the race to beat coronavirus? Experts, however, say it's not so much how many tests you do, but what you do with the results, that is important. Dr Joshua Moon, a research fellow at the science policy research unit at the University of Sussex, who is studying coronavirus testing around the world, says: 'You can do all the testing you want, but if you're not using the results to feed into contact tracing, or asking people to isolate and ensuring compliance, then you are not breaking the chains of transmission.' Furthermore, testing speed 'matters as much as testing capacity', adds Professor Rowland Kao, an epidemiologist and data scientist at the University of Edinburgh. 'If you can't get the results back to people quickly, that means you can't follow up and catch further infections - which can lead to more delays and it just steamrolls.' Here, we look at the testing strategies a selection of countries are following, and ask the experts which - if any - pass the test. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | https://dailyuknews.com/health/which-countries-are-really-winning-the-race-to-beat-coronavirus/ |
| Description | More or Less BBC radio 4 interview |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | More or Less BBC radio 4 interview on the cost-efficacy of Test and Trace systems, with team members Michael Hopkins and Professor Sibylle Gaisser providing a comparison of figures used on testing in the UK & Germany. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0013jbx |
| Description | PHE Independent High Risk AGP Review Panel member |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Team member Martin Llewelyn was a member of the independent panel, which met throughout 2021. "The Independent Panel on High Risk Aerosol Generating Procedures (AGPs) will assess the evidence for complex and unclear cases, where there are differing views on defining AGPs, taking into account the potential route of transmission and making recommendations for the appropriate classification." A report was provided summarising the panel's final advice on the state of the evidence, research needs, and recommendations to the CMO. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/independent-high-risk-agp-panel |
| Description | People Management Online article: interview |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | People Management Online article: interview with team member. Michael Hopkins, professor of innovation management at the University of Sussex, said the availability of furlough for self-isolating workers would come as "news to most employers". Hopkins, who is leading a research project comparing the test and trace systems of different countries, added the suggestion that furlough could have been used to "make self-isolation affordable was not something we saw reported or discussed during all these months". "Many scientists, including senior government advisors, have long been calling for better support for self-isolation to break chains of infection," he said, criticising the government for being "ideologically opposed to spending money to boost self-isolation" despite spending millions on testing. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://www.peoplemanagement.co.uk/news/articles/furlough-can-be-used-to-support-self-isolating-staf... |
| Description | Professor Sybille Gaisser: Presentation on COVID-19 risk managment. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Team member Professor Sybille Gaisser presented on COVID-19 risk management for a virtual science night at the Friedrich-alexander high school in Neustadt, on behalf of the University of Ansbach. As the event was virtual, it was also recorded and posted on YouTube. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ivHVz2dm74&t=213s |
| Description | Public Sector Focus (Issue 37) article on international comparisons of test and trace systems |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Team members Choon Key Chekar, Joshua Moon, and Michael Hopkins authored an article for Public Sector Focus' 37th Issue, regarding learning lessons from international comparisons in test and trace systems. This article was a follow-up from the piece on The Conversation, this article is critiquing the popular view that test/trace was useless as a pandemic measure. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://flickread.com/edition/html/index.php?pdf=61b895c8868b0#20 |
| Description | Research Professional news Oct 2021 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Media interview regarding testing and trace. And Michael Hopkins, a professor of innovation management at the University of Sussex's Science Policy Research Unit, said the report had come at a "crucial time, with Covid cases and scepticism of NHS Test and Trace both rising". He added that the "big danger" was that politicians and the public conclude that the system is "expensive and simply does not work". "But in South Korea, a world leading test and trace system has actually averted the need for national lockdowns," he pointed out. "We need to create a culture of social responsibility to encourage people to engage with test and trace," Hopkins said. "Failure to engage with testing is now the major problem that we face in the UK, because the test and trace system may only see the tip of the iceberg-especially if people think vaccination is the be all and end all of their personal responsibilities." |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-politics-parliament-2021-10-mps-blast-expensive-... |
| Description | St Vincent Times Omicron news article - Collins Iwuji |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Team member Collins Iwuji responded to a media inquiry regarding the spread of the Omicron variant in South Africa for the St Vincent Times in November 2021. Excerpt: Speaking from South Africa, Dr Collins Iwuji, a consultant HIV physician and clinical epidemiologist, said: "It is possible that with travel, that the variant will reach Europe or may already be there but we cannot say at this stage whether it can cause wide spread transmission like the Delta variant. "Only a few cases have been identified in South Africa and Botswana. How quickly a country identifies these variants depends on the sequencing coverage of positive cases." |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://www.stvincenttimes.com/information-on-new-southern-african-variant-and-should-we-be-worried/ |
| Description | Support PHE: Lessons Identified and Public Inquiry Preparation regarding the PHE response to COVID-19. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | External challenge panel member (one of six) supporting PHE's Lessons Identified and Public Inquiry Preparation with regard to the PHE response to COVID-19. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | TalkRadio interview - Dr Joshua Moon 31/12/2021 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Talk radio interview with team member on COVID-19 PCR testing. 31/12/2021 'This is Dr Joshua moon, a research fellow in the science policy re Research Unit at the University of Sussex business school and he says Richard I hope you're listening the coded PCR test has pretty good spaces specifically broke a is very specific.' |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://eu.vocuspr.com/ViewNewsOnDemand.aspx?ArticleID=3639410_57919_278273 |
| Description | Team member Sibylle Gaisser interviewed in Germany: ,,Der negative Test is kein Freibrief" |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Team member Prof Sibylle Gaisser was interviewed regarding the research project's scope, in a Q & A format with the title: "The negative test is not a free pass". A copy is not available online but was a part of the university's print media on researcher activity. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | The Conversation Blog Article: The secret to South Korea's COVID success? Combining high technology with the human touch |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Choon Key Chekar, Joshua R Moon, and Michael Hopkins authored an article for The Conversation on South Korea's test and trace system. The article prompted a discussion in the comments section, with team members replying with clarifications to further the discussion. This article led to a further related publication in Public Sector Focus, also listed as an engagement activity for this project (https://flickread.com/edition/html/index.php?pdf=61b895c8868b0#20), and was re-published in the World Financial Review (https://worldfinancialreview.com/the-secret-to-south-koreas-covid-success-combining-high-technology-with-the-human-touch/) |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://theconversation.com/the-secret-to-south-koreas-covid-success-combining-high-technology-with-... |
| Description | The Guardian article team member quoted NHS test and trace 'failed its main objective', says spending watchdog |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | The Guardian article, team member response to media inquiry regarding NHS T&T. Michael Hopkins, professor of innovation management at the University of Sussex business school, warned that the report "comes at a crucial time, with Covid cases and scepticism of NHS test and trace both rising". |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/oct/27/nhs-test-and-trace-failed-its-main-objective-says-spen... |
| Description | The One Show - Michael Hopkins interview 24/02/2022 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | The One show - BBC south interview on the cost of Test and Trace systems (24th Feb 2022) 'Professor Michael Hopkins from the University of Sussex Business School has been working out the cost for England and comparing it to other countries.' |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://eu.vocuspr.com/ViewNewsOnDemand.aspx?ArticleID=3639410_57919_301042 |