STAFF at St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals have been praised for their overwhelming response to assist in a national research study aimed at better understanding Covid-19.

Hundreds of staff have signed up to the SIREN study that looks at a number of factors including whether being infected with the virus once will then protect against catching the virus for a second time.

It also aims to understand the number of healthcare workers infected by COVID in the last few months and whether there are differences related to age, ethnicity and other factors of those who contract the virus.

The study will last for 12 months and is being facilitated by the Trust’s Research Team on behalf of Public Health England. The team was the first in the North West to recruit staff to take part.

Rowan Pritchard Jones, Medical Director, said: “We are extremely proud that our staff are at the forefront of studies into this deadly virus.

"We have seen first-hand the effects the pandemic has had on our community, and if we can help in any way to better understand and beat this disease, then we are delighted to be leading the way.”