Investigating SARS-CoV-2 Transmission in UK Jewish Communities

This study, in a UK Jewish community, will investigate the role of children, cross-protection from non-SARS-CoV2 coronaviruses, asymptomatic transmission, household structure, and pre-existing conditions on transmission and burden of disease. This will generate strong evidence for major unknowns in infection natural history, and by using transmission models we can translate findings to improve UK projections of subsequent waves. Uniquely this community has maintained community level records on treatment both within and outside the home for all members providing an unparalleled record of the impact of COVID-19 and combined with their highly-connected population structures and large inter-generational household structures make them an ideal case-study in understanding drivers of transmission in high-risk communities and in particular the role and/or risks associated with children. We will undertake a cross-sectional survey enrolling 500 households. We will collect information on household structure, social mixing, evidence of COVID-19 and collect samples for serological testing for SARS-CoV-2 and HCOV infection. We will collect detailed data on community understanding and perceptions of risk and acceptability and feasibility of future control strategies such as vaccination. We will use these data to fit a mathematical transmission model of SARS-CoV-2 and estimate risk of each transmission in different settings, such as households, schools, synagogues and yeshiva, which is critical as the community (and the country) exit lockdown. By analysing households, we will quantify transmission from children, by comparing the force of infection by household size and composition. This information is critical for re-opening of schools in the Autumn.