We hired a talented local photographer to follow one of our top teams to give you a day in the life of a COVID researcher working in Mitchells Plain. We work directly with our community to keep our teams safe, get an inside peek at what an average day looks like.

HUTS 2 or the Healthcare UTilisation and Seroprevalence Repeat Survey is a study that returned to communities in Edendale (Pietermaritzburg) and Mitchells Plain (Cape Town) to find out more about the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa.

Our teams arrive at our Rondebosch Office. They pack what they need for the day and gear up to protect themselves in the field. Sanitiser, an anti-viral mask and gown sit alongside their gloves and nurse kit.

They are in the car and ready to go. Looking at the GPS, our team keys in the houses they have been assigned for that day.

HUTS 2 is a bit easier than the HUTS 1 which took place during the peak of the 2nd wave of COVID-19 in South Africa, a time when many people were scared and uncertain. So our experienced team feels confident as they drive off to their first household.

Our team arrives at the home of an elderly lady on a peaceful Friday morning in Mitchells Plain.

They tell her a bit about the study. This is always a tense moment, as many residents are wary of talking to strangers.

But with patience, experience and a good reputation in this community (one of the most underrated factors), our team is able to explain the importance of our study and are allowed to come into her home.

Once inside, our team sanitises, helps the participant learn more about the study and gives them the option to opt out or sign a written consent on our electronic tablets if they would like to continue.

Epicentre has done many studies in Mitchells Plain and surrounding areas, so many people trust us and the studies we do. But we will leave her with a printed consent with all our information if she needs to contact us or wants to ask any further questions.

To protect our participants’ privacy, we never use people’s names or anything that could be used to contact or find them. She will have a barcode number that will connect all her forms and lab results that only our most senior management will be able to link to her actual name.

They then do a short questionnaire, so we can see how COVID really impacted her and other South Africans like her. The aim of this study was to better understand how COVID affected people economically, did they lose their jobs, have they had enough food? These questions are important.

We also examined how people used healthcare during the pandemic. We asked a lot of questions around how clinics and hospitals were used and about peoples experiences when they visited these healthcare facilities.

Our aim is to inform government on what went wrong and right, and what people feel they need from healthcare to get better. We want to help South Africa’s health system be prepared for the next wave of COVID and for the next pandemic.

After doing the questionnaire, she was asked for a sample of her blood to test for COVID antibodies. This is so important as, like many people, she didn’t experience any symptoms so didn’t go to hospital or get tested but had an asymptomatic COVID-19 infection. This kind of infection is a crucial missing data that needs to be better understood. And that’s it!

The process takes all of 20 to 30 mins, and we are off again to the next chosen participant and repeat.

Epicentre has an extensive walk-in testing centre for both rapid and lab tests. Learn more here.

If you want to read more articles like this, join our monthly newsletter! We release insider info on what the health research industry is taking a look at each month.