SARS Antibody Testing in Children: Development of Oral Fluid Assays for IgG Measurements.

Seroepidemiological studies to monitor antibody kinetics are important for assessing the extent and spread of SARS-CoV-2 in a population. Noninvasive sampling methods are advantageous for reducing the need for venipuncture, which may be a barrier to investigations, particularly in pediatric populations. Oral fluids are obtained by gingiva-crevicular sampling from children and adults and are very well accepted.

SARS-CoV-2 infection and transmission in primary schools in England in June-December, 2020 (sKIDs): an active, prospective surveillance study.

Background: Little is known about the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and transmission in educational settings. Public Health England initiated a study, COVID-19 Surveillance in School KIDs (sKIDs), in primary schools when they partially reopened from June 1, 2020, after the first national lockdown in England to estimate the incidence of symptomatic and asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection, seroprevalence, and seroconversion in staff and students.

Methods: sKIDs, an active, prospective, surveillance study, included two groups: the weekly swabbing group and the blood sampling group.

Trends in bacterial, mycobacterial, and fungal meningitis in England and Wales 2004-11: an observational study.

Background: Meningitis remains one of the most feared infectious diseases worldwide, yet there are few population-based studies on the epidemiology, causes, or trends over time in meningitis, especially in industrialised countries. Our aim was to do such a study using routinely reported data available in England and Wales.

Methods: In England and Wales, UK National Health Service hospitals routinely report laboratory-confirmed pathogens electronically to Public Health England.