Impact

The TestEd research project developed an innovative PCR strategy to test for asymptomatic COVID-19 infections while minimising infection outbreaks and transmission at the University of Edinburgh.

The testing service provided by the project was available to all staff and students across 30 locations which helped to make the University a safe place to for essential workers and eased anxieties around returning to campus after the lifting of lockdowns. Feedback survey data indicated that study participants felt safer at work and university by using the service.

Publications

Highlighted Research publications from TestED

• Linda Bauld, Alice Street, Roxanne Connelly, Imogen Bevan, Yazmin Morlet Corti, Mats Stage Baxter, Helen R Stagg, Sarah Christison, Tamara Mulherin, Lesley Sinclair, Tim Aitman. Students’ and staffs’ views and experiences of asymptomatic testing on a university campus during the COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland: a mixed methods study. BMJ Open (2023)
• Timothy J Aitman, Linda Bauld, Kathryn F Carruthers, Nick Gilbert, Neil Turok. COVID-19 testing: disparity between national and institution-based case detection. medRxiv (2022)
• Mutesa, L., et al., A pooled testing strategy for identifying SARS-CoV-2 at low prevalence. Nature 589, 276–280 (2021). 
• Ramandeep Singh Sahota, Salimato Sanha, Anna Last, Eunice Cassama, Adriana Goncalves, Ann H Kelly, Alice Street, Emma M Harding-Esch. Acceptability and perceived utility of different diagnostic tests and sample types for trachoma surveillance in the Bijagos Islands, Guinea Bissau, Transactions of The Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (2021), traa179
• Reijns, et al., A sensitive and affordable multiplex RT-qPCR assay for SARs-CoV-2 detection PLOS Biology (2020)

Other publications

• Street, Alice., Stage Maxter, Mats., Christison, Sarah., Bevan, Imogen., Bauld, Linda. 2021. Student views and experiences of asymptomatic COVID-19 testing at the University of Edinburgh. University of Edinburgh Working Paper (2021) TestEd Student views and experiences of asymptomatic COVID-19 testing at the University of Edinburgh (2.27 MB PDF)
• Street, Alice., Bevan, Imogen., Baxter, Mats Stage., Stagg, Helen R. 2021. Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behavior Related to COVID-19 Testing: A Rapid Scoping Review.  
• Staff and student views and experiences of the TestEd programme: TestEd survey round 1 summary for participants (758.23 KB PDF)
• First survey and Interviews with the TestEd participants results report (2021) TestEd survey round 1 report (2.24 MB PDF)
• Street, Alice., Lee, Shona., Bevan, Imogen., Taylor, Michelle. 2021. Testing and trust: Public perceptions, expectations and experiences of COVID-19 testing in Scotland. Chief Scientist Office COVID-19 Rapid Research in Covid-19 Final Report

TestEd News