Coronavirus Test Advice (CTA)

What COVID-19 tests do you need now?   Is the test safe? How accurate is it? Is it approved by government? Can you recommend them to your loved ones? Buy them for your employees?   

The COVID-19 crisis requires humanity to become extremely knowledgeable about health. However, the public remains anxious due partly to misinformation (Lancet 2020 P537). This is heightened by a "disturbing trend of criminals who are taking advantage of the COVID-19 outbreak by exploiting the high market demand for personal protection and hygiene product" (MHRA The UK Government March 2020).  

As economies reopen, we need guidance on reducing the risk of COVID-19, using non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) and testing. Information is vital.    

The CTA website guides users through an easy to use comparison search of COVID-19 tests. Behind which sits a dizzying array of information compiled through a robust scientific process. 

Everyone is affected by COVID-19 crisis, and we are a short way through the pandemic. Everyone working on the front line, governments, and private individuals need a trusted source of verified information about COVID-19 solutions. They need to be able to see the information in a contextualised format to make informed decisions.  
 
Without verified information, we see media speculation and unregulated websites that lack any incentives for scientific rigour or public safety. Further eroding trust in information shared on the Internet. The UK's National Cyber Security Centre has removed thousands of coronavirus scams from the dark and open web. (BBC 3rd June 2020). We also see pharmaceutical companies' spinning' their test results (Daily Mail 6th June 2020).  
 
This collaboration, between UCL scientists and the Federation of Humanitarian Technologists, has identified two knowledge gaps:     
 
1. Working at speed scientists are generating a vast array of trials and papers on COVID-19 which need to be peer-reviewed, confirmed and assessed. Traditional methods of publication need to be enhanced to decipher positive breakthroughs faster.   
 
2. A precise method of disseminating and presenting COVID-19 information in a recognisable format for the general public. This needs to be demonstrably effective, easily understood and locally applicable. 

The Coronavirus Test Advice (CTA) website disseminates information about COVID19 tests and vaccines to keep communities safe. The CTA employs a comparison model and rating systems, ubiquitous across websites such as Flights and Insurance.  
 
The information displayed is determined by a robust scientific process created by UCL. Information will be gathered by volunteers into a WikiData platform. It will be reviewed using a 'Living Systematic Review' methodology to provide scientific rigour by systematically collating and analysing data to provide a consensus.   
 
Combined with Glass's (1976) 'meta-analysis' we show that the review process can be underpinned by an algorithmic approach.   
 
Guided by UCL's Professor Kurinchi Gurusamy the following questions can be answered;   
 
How accurate is a diagnostic test?    
 
How good is an instrument in measuring the outcome?    
 
Which treatment is the best treatment for a patient?    
 
Across epidemiology, it could improve prognostic studies around ethnicity and determine if trails in animals will translate into effective human trials.     
 
CTA uses analytics and usability data to highlight the best methods of presenting COVID-19 information to tackle misinformation, minimise stigma and prejudice. A feedback mechanism shows where different methods can be tested in real-time whilst providing behavioural insights related to regional and demographic variations.

The CTA website disseminates information about COVID19 tests and vaccines to keep communities safe. The CTA employs a comparison model and rating systems, ubiquitous across websites such as Flights and Insurance.  
 
The information displayed is determined by a robust scientific process created by UCL. Information will be gathered by volunteers into a WikiData platform. It will be reviewed using a 'Living Systematic Review' methodology to provide scientific rigour by systematically collating and analysing data to provide a consensus.   
 
Combined with Glass's (1976) 'meta-analysis' we show that the review process can be underpinned by an algorithmic approach.   
 
Guided by UCL's Professor Kurinchi Gurusamy the following questions can be answered;   
 

• How accurate is a diagnostic test?
• How good is an instrument in measuring the outcome?
• Which treatment is the best treatment for a patient?    

 
Across epidemiology, it could improve prognostic studies around ethnicity and determine if trails in animals will translate into effective human trials.     
 
CTA uses analytics and usability data to highlight the best methods of presenting COVID-19 information to tackle misinformation, minimise stigma and prejudice. A feedback mechanism shows where the different methods can be tested in real-time whilst providing behavioural insights related to regional and demographic variations. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that we need improved reliable information which, although complex, can be consumed by a wide range of the public. Only then can we improve health outcomes, aid prevention, accurately detect and allow the public to respond both in a crisis but also long term.   
 
By amalgamating tried and test search comparison technology, we can establish a new scientific Living Systematic Review process to underpin an already thriving open-source community. We then can present cross-sector innovations including low-cost diagnostics which will slow the spread of an outbreak, improving individual responses, and aid decision making

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that we need improved reliable information which, although complex, can be consumed by a wide range of the public. Only then can we improve health outcomes, aid prevention, accurately detect and allow the public to respond both in a crisis but also long term.   
 
By amalgamating tried and test search comparison technology, we can establish a new scientific Living Systematic Review process to underpin an already thriving open-source community. We then can present cross-sector innovations including low-cost diagnostics which will slow the spread of an outbreak, improving individual responses, aid decision making, and provide tools for society.

Our solution is technologically well established (WikiData and Comparative Search) with an overlay of a new but successful academic process (Living Systematic Reviews). Bringing science to these technology platforms to enable a typically manual process is where our innovation lies. This transforms how the public consumes scientific knowledge to make personal risk assessments.    
 
Our solution builds off existing open-source data collection tools & communities (WikiData) to empower scientists to make their research accessible to the general public in a way that provides minimal overhead.   
 
1. Data Capture Using WikiData.     
 
 We have a rigorous peer-review process using, WikiData to ensure information is accurate.  
 
2. New Collaborative Process.     
 
UCL and the Federation shall develop the documentation to enable researchers to input new information on COVID-19 testing easily. Building on work started by a team at the University of Sfax, Tunisia. Other partnerships will extend across the WikiData community, UCL, and the broader scientific community. For example, partnerships with journals such as Lancet Infectious Diseases and technology organisations.    
 
The process will be underpinned by the Living Systematic Review process championed by Professor Kurinchi Gurusamy. The process decreased false positives and is more objective.    
 
3. Website.     
 
CTA is a combination of a custom information portal with the WikiData API.  This allows secure, sustainable infrastructure and strong UX for mobile and desktop. The web application will undergo a phase of penetration testing & comply with W3C accessibility and GDPR guidelines, ensuring that vulnerable communities can engage with the information provided.

 Our three work packages can be evidenced as follows.    
 
1. Data Capture Using WikiData.    
 
WikiData is trusted and widely used community-maintained knowledge base across various scientific disciplines. (Waagmeester Andra; Stupp, Gregory; Burgstaller-Muehlbacher Sebastian; Good, Benjamin M; Griffith Malachi; et al. eLife; Wikidata as a knowledge graph for the life sciences 2020).   
 
2. Community/Partnerships.    
 
The process will be underpinned by the Living Systematic Review process championed by Professor Kurinchi Gurusamy. The process decreased false positives and is more objective. By using technology such as WikiData and our own UX research, we can make these findings easily available to the public.  
 
3. Website.    
 
We know that comparative search works in other sectors (Belton Lunn Consumers struggle to choose New Types of Electricity Tariffs, but Comparison Tools can Help March 2020). Research also shows that it is essential to make comparison tools user-friendly, to avoid confusion (Belton Lunn. Economic and Social Research Institute. March 2020).  It is well established from previous epidemics that effective communication and presentation of information reduces the spread of disease. (Reynolds B. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2007). 

 Our three work packages can be evidenced as follows.    
 
1. Data Capture Using WikiData.    
 
WikiData is trusted and widely used community-maintained knowledge base across various scientific disciplines. (Waagmeester Andra; Stupp, Gregory; Burgstaller-Muehlbacher Sebastian; Good, Benjamin M; Griffith Malachi; et al. eLife; Wikidata as a knowledge graph for the life sciences 2020).   
 
2. Community/Partnerships.    
 
The process will be underpinned by the Living Systematic Review process championed by Professor Kurinchi Gurusamy. The process decreased false positives and is more objective. By using technology such as WikiData and our own UX research, we can make these findings easily available to the public.  
 
3. Website.    
 
We know that comparative search works in other sectors (Belton Lunn Consumers struggle to choose New Types of Electricity Tariffs, but Comparison Tools can Help March 2020). Research also shows that it is essential to make comparison tools user-friendly, to avoid confusion (Belton Lunn. Economic and Social Research Institute. March 2020).  It is well established from previous epidemics that effective communication and presentation of information reduces the spread of disease. (Reynolds B. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2007). 

The service will include all globally relevant COVID 19 test data from day one. We have already begun working with a small number of students and professors at the University of Sfax; Tunisia. This will help us ensure our data is relevant to an international community.
 
If funding is restricted and we have to prioritise then we shall focus on the UK which has a population of 66.46 million. Of which 1.4 Million are identified as at-risk and must isolate. This group will most benefit from knowing if their community has been tested.  
 
After which, we will focus on volunteer community's in specific localities across the globe.    
 
Currently, we service 0 people.  
 
In one year, we shall service 1 Million people.  
 
In 5 years we will service 1 Billion requests.

Within the next few months, we plan to kickstart our community through an initial collection & verification of COVID-19 testing data through our partnership with UCL. The data will be stored and evaluated in the WikiData platform. Alongside that, our technology team will develop our initial release of an information portal. Lastly, our executive team will reach out to our network of COVID-19 consulting organisations to create partnerships in using our knowledge base as an integral tool for their consulting services.  
 
Over the next five years, our partnership with various consulting services will not only provide income for our team to continue to evaluate & update our product suite but also help inform what our customer base needs to know. Our value to our partner organisations will be to provide a priceless inbound marketing pipeline for new customers needing COVID-19 consulting services.  
 
Finally, our funding obligation with UKRI require that we deliver on two research questions:
 

• Behavioural Insights: Can information help people adhere to, and monitor adherence to, guidance about COVID-19, considering regional and demographic variation?  
• National security and geopolitics: How can we identify and respond to misinformation and fake news? 

Our product suite is aimed solely addressing the issues created by the COVID-19 pandemic. While we believe that the benefit to society vastly outweighs the amount of investment required to kickstart it, the sustainability beyond the COVID-19 crisis is a significant barrier.   
 
   
 
Our technology & research teams are confident that we have all the resources we require to build a sustainable and useful solution to help our society make informed decisions around COVID-19 testing and vaccines. However, we do not have explicit partnership agreements with a consulting firm specialising in COVID-19 response.   
 
   
 
We also believe that the threat of false COVID-19 tests will increase as the pandemic takes hold in new locations or resurges. Our service needs to be available as we go into winter in 2020/21.  
   
 
The time table for COVID-19 vaccine is highly volatile. Our service will be required until COVID-19 isn't a threat to communities across the globe.  Therefore, we need to find a funding solution that allows us to deliver this service until it is no longer required. This may be through sponsorship, funding partnerships or folding into a larger project for long term sustainability.

While our solution is oriented around COVID-19 response, we hope that our methodology will serve as a valuable precedent for quickly disseminating & updating complex scientific information in a way that is useful towards the public. The example we set here can revolutionise how researchers around the world conduct systematic reviews.

Mike Nolan 

Kavita Kapoor 

Amir Gander 

Ross Lowe 

The CTA team is a brand new partnership between the scientists and health clinicians at University College London (UCL) and software engineers and internet entrepreneurs at the Federation of Humanitarian Technologist (FoHT).  

Together they have an excellent track history in creating new ventures, building information portals, creating new scientific communities and processes as well as managing complex scientific or technological projects. 

Amir founded the UCL's Tissue Access for Patient Benefit (TAPB) which has pivoted to gather COVID-19 samples. Mike has been working on high profile Humanitarian Aid projects in the middle east and Kavita has created a number of successful technology start ups. 

Describe your team's skills, background, and experiences that uniquely position you and your team to deliver the solution and solve the problem. 

 University College London – Providing researchers 

Wikimedia Foundation & WikiData Covid Response Community– Hosting WikiData serviceYour Business Model & Funding 

 Our business's aim first and foremost is a social good. We seek to quickly and responsively react to the crisis COVID19 has created and minimise damage as much as possible. Our business plan reflects this by creating a balance between sustainability and efficacy. Initially, we will rely on upfront investment from some donors to kickstart our product development & research. This will allow us to get to market quickly and begin assisting organisations as soon as possible.  

During this kickstart phase, we will work with our network of funders & partners to foster relationships with several COVID19 consulting firms which we have already begun to target. These firms will be our primary source of revenue. We will supplement their consulting services with our speciality knowledge & connection to the research community. We will also offer our platform as a pathway for partner firms to obtain new clients. 

Consulting firms trying to react quickly to the changing situation COVID19 has created will need a method of gaining the trust of clients in a world full of misinformation. Our brand of UCLs leading research team & our information portal will be an invaluable resource for gaining the trust of new clients. 

We are raising $450K to sustain the project through the crucial build phase and maintaining operation during the height of the pandemic.  

UCL are co-ordinating the grant funding applications across UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) short-term COVID-19 response request. This request addresses and mitigates health, social, economic, cultural and environmental impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak. The CTA not only meets the goals of helping individuals make their own health decision making we will provide sufficient access to information that aid institutions determining the best approach to reopen.  

Also, we have applied for part funding from a range of organisation including NESTA the UK Innovation fund supported by an endowment.  

Once established, we will aim to partner with our NHS Trusts.  

We are also exploring if a social enterprise business model will be beneficial, and we have support from UCLb. Our models may involve sponsorship. We envisage the bulk of our revenue in year five coming from consultancy.     

We are applying to MIT Solve to raise the profile of this much-needed project.   

Anyone can go online and find a COVID-19 test and people are exploiting this situation. In June 2020 a man from Birmingham UK is thought to have sold up to 500 false testing kits to customers both the UK and US. A second suspect is being sought (BBC 3rd June 2020).  A NYU analysis yet to be peer-reviewed, suggest that Abbott ID NOW machine possibly missed 48% of positive cases. This is a test that was being used by the White House. (NY Magazine 13 May 2020) 

With trust in governments and their agencies low, we need our trusted institution to step up. UCL as a world-class University has that trust, and we believe that a deep relationship with MIT could elevate the credibility of the project.  

We particularly wish to aid marginalised communities globally and believe the media support that MIT Solve recognition could provide will fast track our work. 

As a solution created via a collaboration between UCL and the Federation of Humanitarian Technologists, and their more extensive network of scientist and volunteer technologists, we already value the opportunity to expand our reach through a more comprehensive network. 

During our initial phase of development, we will seek out COVID19 consulting organisations. Specifically, companies which are helping larger organisations understand what sort of testing solutions will help them achieve their goals.  

In the academic world, we would like to connect with Data Scientist and have connections via Open UK to John Hopkins University and Our World in Data. Two of the worlds most credible Coronavirus data tracking sources.   

Given the research-oriented nature of our work, we seek to partner with academic such as Professor Jon Deeks at Birmingham University and COVID19 Vaccine developers at Oxford and Imperial Universities. A connection via MIT MIT would help expand our campaign globally. This will assist in the gathering & verification of testing data.