UniCoV

UniCoV Study

To facilitate the safe, continual return to on-campus learning and teaching for University students and staff, UniCoV will explore effective rapid testing and surveillance systems within third-level institutes to assist with the early identification of asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2. Findings will inform the development of early warning systems and expedite future outbreak prevention and control. 

UniCoV is a multi-site, randomised controlled clinical study led by the National University of Ireland Galway (NUIG) in partnership with Trinity College Dublin (TCD), University College Dublin (UCD) and University College Cork (UCC). Funded by Science Foundation Ireland, the four universities and the HSE and supported by the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research Innovation and Science and Department of Health, UniCoV will further develop and apply testing, screening and surveillance strategies, proven tools used by Public Health to assist with early warning systems for disease, in the context of SARS-CoV-2 infection in Ireland. Involving both students and staff, the UniCoV study explores the feasibility and acceptability of self-reporting, self-testing and biosamples surveillance systems to assist with the safe and sustainable re-opening of Higher Education Institutes’ (HEI) campuses, and society more broadly.

 

UniCoV Study at UCD

Thank you for your interest in joining the UniCoV study at UCD.

We encourage you to read the UniCoV Participant Information Leaflet before continuing.

 

To participate in the UniCoV Study, you will be expected to:

1. Have a computer with a camera and/or Smartphone
2. Read and understand the UniCoV Participant Information Leaflet
3. Register by completing the Consent Form (as below) 
4. Attend one in-person meeting with UCD UniCov Research Staff and collect the participant package. During the in-person meeting, you will be asked to undergo a nasopharyngeal swab
5. Carry out tests as requested by allocation to a group
6. Upload your results and drop off saliva samples to campus drop-off boxes
7. Complete weekly questionnaires
8. Continue to follow public health guidelines as advised with regard to test results

Please complete the UniCoV Volunteer Consent Form here and register for the study

Location of in-person visit:

UCD location for in-person visit (will be advised following registration to participate in UniCoV Study)

 

UniCoV Deposit Box for Salivary Samples:

What?            

Returning your saliva samples.

Where?          

Bring your samples to the CEPHR lab deposit box in UCD (behind the UCD O’Reilly Hall). They should only be dropped in the blue deposit box pictured below (blue arrow). Please do not hand your samples to any reception area eg NVRL reception. Please see the map below for details on where CEPHR is located (circled in red). CEPHR is part of the NVRL building behind the UCD O’Reilly hall, where COVID vaccinations take place.

When?           

Samples should be handed in ideally before 11am every Monday and Thursday. This will ensure samples are processed as quickly as possible. We appreciate that some samples may arrive outside these times

 

 

If you have any further queries in advance of registering to participate in this study, please email unicov@ucd.ie