Department of Health and Social Care
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Speak up and help beat coronavirus (COVID-19)

We are seeking volunteers to take part in a study at the forefront of new and emerging science and technology.

Take 5 minutes of your time to submit your voice sounds and contribute to COVID-19 research.

We will explore how algorithms can use voice data, including cough recordings, to detect COVID-19. By identifying if someone is more likely to need a test by using voice sounds, we can find more cases, help slow the spread of COVID-19 and protect our health service.

Taking part

Everyone over the age of 18 who has arranged to get a COVID-19 test at selected sites or has agreed to take part in follow up research is invited to volunteer.

If you’d like to take part in this study, you should use your own smartphone or tablet to visit www.ciab2021.uk. You cannot take part using a laptop or computer.

You will then be asked to read and accept a privacy notice that explains how your information will be used. You will then be asked for your consent to take part in the study.

The form will ask a few basic questions about you, and your health. These questions, such as your height or first language, are all things that can affect how your voice sounds.

You will need to record a short series of sounds using the built-in microphone on your phone or tablet. These sounds will include a forced cough, breathing sounds and a defined sentence. Guidance on screen will help you through these steps. It should take you 5 to 10 minutes to complete.

This study will not offer any medical advice. The sole purpose of this study is to collect data for research.

To take part, you need:

  • a smartphone or tablet
  • to be connected to the internet
  • your COVID-19 test kit barcode number (this should be an 11-character code in the format ABC12345678)

It is important that you submit your information no later than 48 hours after your COVID-19 swab.

You should only submit your voice sounds while you are alone. Do not submit your voice sounds if you are in a vehicle or room with any other people.

Additional information

Potential risks

One of the voice sounds we will ask you to record is a forced cough. Coughing is a potential risk to others around you. Please make sure that you only submit your voice sounds after you have left the testing site, when you are alone in either your vehicle or a room. Do not submit your voice sounds if you are in a vehicle or room with any other person(s).

Changing your mind

It is up to you to decide if you would like to take part in this study. If you decide to take part but change your mind when completing the form, you can exit the website at any stage. Voice recordings and information that are not submitted are not retained.

Benefitting from taking part in the study

There are no monetary or other direct benefits to you from taking part in this study. However, the information you contribute may be useful in the fight against COVID-19.

If something goes wrong or you wish to complain

If you have any questions or concerns about any aspect of the study, would like to report an adverse event or if you wish to complain formally, you can email ciab2021@dhsc.gov.uk.

How the information will be used

We will use the information that you submit on the website for research purposes only. Researchers will process audio files from your recordings and the information that you provide. You can learn more about the use of information collected as part of this study by reading the privacy notice on the study website.

Review of the study

The National Statistician’s Data Ethics Committee and the Cambridge South NHS Research Ethics Committee have approved this study. Findings of the study will be published in due course.

Visit the study website (this link will take you to an external site)

Brexit

Check what you need to do

 

Channel website: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-of-health-and-social-care

Original article link: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/speak-up-and-help-beat-coronavirus-covid-19

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