-
A Management Information release for Scotland
COVID-19 Antibody Survey of education Staff (CASS) Report 1
Publication date: 16 December 2020
-
Public Health Scotland
1
This is a Management Information publication Published management information are non-official statistics which may be in the process of
being transitioned into official statistics. They may not comply with the UK Statistics
Authority’s Code of Practice with regard to high data quality or high public value, but there is
a public interest or a specific interest by a specialist user group in accessing these statistics
as there are no associated official statistics available.
Users should therefore be aware of the aspects of data quality and caveats surrounding
these data, all of which are listed in this document.
Find out more about Management Information publications at:
www.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/National-Statisticians-Guidance-
Management-Information-and-Official-Statistics.pdf
http://www.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/National-Statisticians-Guidance-Management-Information-and-Official-Statistics.pdfhttp://www.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/National-Statisticians-Guidance-Management-Information-and-Official-Statistics.pdf
-
Public Health Scotland
2
Contents Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 3
Main points ............................................................................................................................... 4
Methods ................................................................................................................................... 5
Results and commentary ......................................................................................................... 7
Glossary ................................................................................................................................. 20
Contact ................................................................................................................................... 21
Further information ................................................................................................................. 21
Rate this publication ............................................................................................................... 21
Appendix 1 – Data tables ....................................................................................................... 22
Appendix 2 – Publication metadata ........................................................................................ 29
Appendix 3 – Early access details ......................................................................................... 30
Appendix 4 – PHS and Official Statistics................................................................................ 31
-
Public Health Scotland
3
Introduction In March 2020, as part of coronavirus (COVID-19) control measures, schools in Scotland
were closed to almost all pupils. Since mid-August they have re-opened full-time to all pupils
with infection prevention measures in place.
As part of its work to better understand how COVID-19 is affecting people in Scotland, Public
Health Scotland (PHS) leads the COVID-19 education surveillance programme.1 One
element of this programme is the COVID-19 Antibody Survey of education Staff (CASS),
launched in October 2020.
COVID-19 is a disease caused by the new coronavirus known as SARS-CoV-2
(‘coronavirus’). When the body is infected with coronavirus, it produces antibodies to help
fight it. Some of these specific antibodies remain in the blood after the body recovers, and
they can be detected by blood tests known as serology tests. Using such blood tests, CASS
aims to monitor the proportion of people working in education in Scotland who have
coronavirus antibodies, and how this changes over the school year 2020/21.
CASS is voluntary and open to any adult who works in a school or an early learning and
childcare setting in Scotland. Participation involves completing a monthly online survey and a
monthly home-based antibody blood test managed by the UK Government antibody testing
programme.2
In this report, we report the first findings of CASS covering blood samples taken in the period
from 17 October 2020 to 16 November 2020.
1 More information about the components of PHS Public Health Education Surveillance Programme
can be found at: www.hps.scot.nhs.uk/a-to-z-of-topics/enhanced-surveillance-of-coronavirus-covid-
19/enhanced-surveillance-for-education/
2 Details of the UK Government antibody testing programme can be found at:
www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronaviruscovid-19-testing-privacy-information/antibody-
testing-for-coronavirus-privacyinformation
http://www.hps.scot.nhs.uk/a-to-z-of-topics/enhanced-surveillance-of-coronavirus-covid-19/enhanced-surveillance-for-education/http://www.hps.scot.nhs.uk/a-to-z-of-topics/enhanced-surveillance-of-coronavirus-covid-19/enhanced-surveillance-for-education/http://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronaviruscovid-19-testing-privacy-information/antibody-testing-for-coronavirus-privacyinformationhttp://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronaviruscovid-19-testing-privacy-information/antibody-testing-for-coronavirus-privacyinformation
-
Public Health Scotland
4
Main points This report provides summary results of nearly 20,000 participants in the COVID-19 Antibody
Survey of education Staff (CASS) in Scotland, who had blood samples taken between
17 October and 16 November 2020.
• The proportion of participants who had antibodies detected is estimated to be 7.3%
(95% confidence interval (CI) 6.9%–7.7%). This is an adjusted figure, which takes into
account the performance of the test in detecting antibodies.
• There were no significant differences between men and women, or by age group, in
the proportion of participants that had antibodies detected. Participants of non-White
ethnicities had a higher estimated seroprevalence (11.2% (95% CI 7.2%–17.1%)),
than those of White ethinicities (7.3% (95% CI 6.9%–7.7%)). However, it should be
noted that this estimate for non-White ethnicities is based on a small sample.
• The proportion of staff working in secondary-school settings that had antibodies
detected (6.3% (95% CI 5.7%–6.9%)) was slightly lower than staff in early learning
and childcare (8.2% (95% CI 7.2%–9.4%)) and primary-school settings (7.7% (95% CI
7.1%–8.3%)).
• Among staff groups, a slightly higher proportion of wider education workforce had
antibodies detected (8.8% (95% CI 7.6%–10.1%)) than teaching and teaching support
staff (7.1% (95% CI 6.6%–7.6%)). There was no difference between teaching and
teaching support staff, and early learning and childcare staff.
• In four local authority areas (based on location of workplace), the proportion of
participants that had antibodies detected was higher than the overall national estimate.
These were Inverclyde, Glasgow City, Renfrewshire and North Lanarkshire. In seven
local authority areas, the proportion of participants that had antibodies detected was
lower than the national estimate.
No direct comparison data are available; however, these results show that the proportion of
education staff who had antibodies in this period is similar to the proportion of the general
adult population in Scotland estimated to have antibodies. This is based on the data from the
ONS Infection survey of a random sample of households, which estimates that 7.1% and
-
Public Health Scotland
5
7.3% of the Scottish adult population would have antibodies in October and November,
respectively.
Methods Participant recruitment and testing CASS is open to any adult member of staff working in a school or early learning and
childcare setting in Scotland. Participation is completely voluntary. Participants are recruited
using invitation packs distributed through national and local authority stakeholders, and they
self-enrol online. After agreeing to participate, participants complete an online survey and
register with the UK Government antibody testing service.
Registrants with the UK testing service who meet inclusion criteria for working in an
education setting, based on industry and occupation, are invited to receive a test kit by post.
Using this test kit, participants collect a small finger-prick blood sample that is returned to the
UK Government antibody testing service for analysis. The specific antibody test used during
this period was the Elecsys® Anti-SARS-CoV-2 immunoassay (Roche®).
Details of recruitment material and participant journey can be found at: www.hps.scot.nhs.uk/web-resources-container/cass-participant-information/
Details of the UK Government antibody testing service can be found at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronaviruscovid-19-testing-privacy-information/antibody-
testing-for-coronavirus-privacyinformation
Period of analysis This report reviews the findings from samples taken during the period from 17 October 2020
to 16 November 2020. Schools in all areas of Scotland were open from 18 August (with the
majority of areas open from 12 August). There was the planned October break of one or two
weeks in all areas. Specific dates for this varied, but in all areas it fell in the period from 5 to
19 October.
http://www.hps.scot.nhs.uk/web-resources-container/cass-participant-information/http://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronaviruscovid-19-testing-privacy-information/antibody-testing-for-coronavirus-privacyinformationhttp://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronaviruscovid-19-testing-privacy-information/antibody-testing-for-coronavirus-privacyinformation
-
Public Health Scotland
6
Data sources The data for CASS come from the online questionnaires participants complete before their
antibody test and the results of the antibody test. Participants’ responses to the online
questionnaire are matched to the antibody tests using community health index (CHI) linkage.
CHI number is a unique health record identifier used in patient records in Scotland.
Outcomes This report presents the proportion of people who had antibodies to the coronavirus, also
known as seroprevalence, by age, sex, ethnicity, socioeconomic deprivation and
occupational characteristics. These proportions are adjusted for the performance of the tests,
and a 95% CI is provided for each.3, 4
Information governance A COVID-19 Rapid Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) was completed for this
programme, with approval obtained from the PHS Data Protection Officer.
3 Public Health England. Evaluation of Roche Elecsys Anti-SARS-CoV-2 serology assay for the
detection of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. Available from: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/891598/Evalu
ation_of_Roche_Elecsys_anti_SARS_CoV_2_PHE_200610_v8.1_FINAL.pdf
4 According to the PHE Porton Down Lab methodology, this reports uses the specificity of 100% (95%
confidence interval (CI) 99.1–100%) and sensitivity of 86.1% (95% CI 76.5–92.8%) at ≥14 days of
symptoms when adjusting estimates for the performance of the blood test.
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/891598/Evaluation_of_Roche_Elecsys_anti_SARS_CoV_2_PHE_200610_v8.1_FINAL.pdfhttps://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/891598/Evaluation_of_Roche_Elecsys_anti_SARS_CoV_2_PHE_200610_v8.1_FINAL.pdf
-
Public Health Scotland
7
Results and commentary Participant characteristics The data reported in this first report refer to 19,653 participants for whom data from both the
questionnaire and an antibody test result were available for the period covering 17 October
and 16 November 2020.
The majority of the participants were female (88.9%) and of White ethnicity (98.9%). The
median age was 41 years (interquartile range 33 to 50 years). More than half the participants
(55.2%) resided in areas which are in the two least deprived quintiles, according to the
Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD).
In terms of work setting, 44.8% worked in primary schools, 32.5% worked in secondary
schools, and 15.3% in early learning and childcare settings. The majority of participants were
either teachers or teaching support staff professionals (74.1%). Other participants had a
range of roles in the wider education workforce, and they included cleaning, catering, admin
and janitorial staff. The workplace settings of participants covered all 32 local authorities in
Scotland.
A detailed breakdown of participant characteristics is provided in Table 1. Information on the
local authority of participants’ place of work can be found in Figure 1 and Table A1 in
Appendix 1.
When interpreting the results of this report, it is important to consider how well the
participants in CASS represent the overall education workforce in Scotland. A number of
factors may have influenced who participated in the survey. These include the effectiveness
of dissemination of information about CASS in reaching all staff groups and locations, and
potential barriers to participation, such as needing internet and mobile phone access. It is
also possible that people’s feelings about coronavirus in general, and/or their assessment of
whether they may have previously had COVID-19, influenced whether they took part in
CASS. Table A2 in Appendix 1 provides a comparison of CASS participants to available data
on the characteristics of the educational workforce in Scotland.
-
Public Health Scotland
8
Table 1: Demographic characteristics of 19,653 participants included in this report
Characteristic Number Proportion or range
Sex Female 17,468 88.9%
Male 2,176 11.1% Prefer not to say 9 0.01%
Age in years Median age and interquartile range2 41 33 to 50
16-39 8,791 44.7% 40+ 10,862 55.3%
Ethnicity All White 19,435 98.9%
White British 18,836 95.8% White non-British 599 3.0%
Caribbean / Black 5 0.0%3 Asian, Asian Scottish or Asian British 83 0.4%
Other 99 0.5% Prefer not to say 31 0.2%
Socioeconomic deprivation based on area of residence4 1 (Most deprived) 1,858 9.5%
2 3,039 15.5% 3 3,909 19.9% 4 5,145 26.2%
5 (Least deprived) 5,702 29.0% Workplace setting
Early Learning and Childcare 3,016 15.3% Primary School 8,814 44.8%
Secondary School 6,382 32.5% Special School 781 4.0%
Other 415 2.1% Unknown 245 1.2%
Job role Early Learning and Childcare staff 2,537 12.9%
Teacher 11,059 56.3% Head Teacher 652 3.3%
Additional Support Needs teacher 460 2.3% Teaching support staff 2,394 12.2%
Admin and Library staff 795 4.0% Catering staff 283 1.4% Cleaning staff 119 0.6%
Other staff 1,106 5.6% Not known 248 1.3%
-
Public Health Scotland
9
1. Exact figure: 0.05% 2. Interquartile range gives an indication of where the majority of values lie 3. Exact figure: 0.03% 4. Socioeconomic deprivation is measured using Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation version 2020.
-
Public Health Scotland
10
Figure 1: Map of number of participants by local authority of workplace1, 2
1. Participants came from workplaces located in all 32 local authorities in Scotland. 2. Detailed breakdown of participants per local authority of workplace can be found in Table A1
in Appendix 1.
-
Public Health Scotland
11
Proportion of participants testing positive for antibodies to coronavirus Overall, an estimated 7.32% (95% CI 6.93%–7.72%) of participants had SARS-CoV-2
antibodies. In this section, we report these proportions by personal, occupational and
workplace characteristics.
The results reported in this section have been adjusted to take into account the performance
of the laboratory tests in detecting antibodies.5 For comparison, the unadjusted estimate for
the proportion of CASS participants with antibodies was 6.30% (95% CI 5.97%–6.65%). Full
data for unadjusted values can be found in Table A3 of Appendix 1.
Analyses by sex, age and ethnicity
The proportion testing positive was not significantly different between males and females
(7.85% for males and 7.25% for females). Similarly, proportions did not significantly differ
between age groups (7.19% in the age group 16–39 years and 7.42% in the 40+ years age
group).
Ethnicity data was available for 99.8% of the participants. Overall, 11.18% of participants with
non-White ethnicity had antibodies detected (95% CI from 7.17%–17.07%), compared with
7.29 of those with White ethnicity (95% CI from 6.90%–7.70%). However it should be noted
that this estimate for non-White ethnicities is based on a small sample of fewer than 200
individuals.
Figure 2 below summarises proportion of participants testing positive for antibodies to
coronavirus by sex, age and ethnicity. Full details of the confidence intervals are reported in
Table A4 of Appendix 1.
5. Diggle PJ, 2011. Estimating prevalence using an imperfect test. Epidemiology Research
International, 2011.
-
Public Health Scotland
12
Figure 2: Proportion of participants testing positive for antibodies to coronavirus by sex, age and ethnicity1, 2
1. Seroprevalence reports the proportion of individuals testing positive for antibodies to coronavirus.
2. Values reported here were adjusted for test accuracy using Bayesian methods described in Diggle PJ, 2011. Estimating prevalence using an imperfect test. Epidemiology Research International, 2011.
Analyses by workplace setting and job role
Workplace setting data was available for 98.8% of participants. Participants working in
secondary schools had a slightly lower proportion of antibody positivity (6.26% (95% CI
5.65%–6.94%)) than those working in primary schools (7.67% (95% CI 7.09%–8.29%)) and
early learning and childcare (8.24% (95% CI 7.24%–9.37%)).
Job role data was available for 98.7% of participants. Participants in the wider education
workforce had a higher antibody positivity (8.78% (95% CI 7.60%–10.11%)) than those in
teaching and teaching support roles (7.08% (95% CI 6.64%–7.55%)).
Figure 3 below shows results by work setting and job role. Full details of the confidence
intervals are reported in Table A4 of Appendix 1.
-
Public Health Scotland
13
Figure 3: Proportion of participants testing positive for antibodies to coronavirus by workplace setting and job role1, 2
1. Seroprevalence reports the proportion of individuals testing positive for antibodies to coronavirus.
2. Values reported here were adjusted for test accuracy using Bayesian methods described in Diggle PJ, 2011. Estimating prevalence using an imperfect test. Epidemiology Research International, 2011.
Analyses by deprivation index
The analysis by deprivation index is based the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD)
quintiles for the area in which participants live. This data was available for all participants.
Among those living in areas in the most deprived quintile 8.63% had antibodies detected
(95% CI 7.34%–10.12%), compared to 7.33% in the least deprived quintile (95% CI 6.63%–
8.10%).
Figure 4 below shows the breakdown of proportion of antibody positivity by SIMD. Full details
of the confidence intervals are reported in Table A4 of Appendix 1.
-
Public Health Scotland
14
Figure 4: Proportion of participants testing positive for antibodies to coronavirus by socioeconomic deprivation1, 2
1. Seroprevalence reports the proportion of individuals testing positive for antibodies to coronavirus.
2. Values reported here were adjusted for test accuracy using Bayesian methods described in Diggle, P.J., 2011. Estimating prevalence using an imperfect test. Epidemiology Research International, 2011.
Analyses by local authority of workplace
The analysis by local authority is based on the area of workplace of participants, and data on
the proportion of antibody positivity was available for 92.9% of participants.
In four local authority areas the proportion of participants with antibodies detected was higher
than the overall national estimate of 7.32%, based on the full CASS sample. There were
Inverclyde (18.6%, 95% CI 14.15%–24.11%), Glasgow City (10.39%, 95% CI 8.95%–
12.02%), Renfrewshire (9.79%, 95% CI 7.51%–12.68%), and North Lanarkshire (9.44%, 95%
CI 7.75%–11.46%). The estimate for Inverclyde is based upon a relatively small sample of
fewer than 300 participants.
Participants working in Aberdeenshire, Angus, Dumfries and Galloway, Highland, Moray,
Perth and Kinross, and the Scottish Borders had a lower proportion with antibodies detected
than the overall national estimate.
-
Public Health Scotland
15
Figure 5 below shows the breakdown of proportion of antibody positivity by local authority of
workplace. Full details of the confidence intervals are reported in Table A5 of Appendix 1.
-
Public Health Scotland
16
Figure 5: Proportion of participants testing positive for antibodies to coronavirus by local authority of workplace1, 2
1. Seroprevalence reports the proportion of individuals testing positive for antibodies to coronavirus. Values reported here were adjusted for test accuracy using Bayesian methods described in Diggle PJ, 2011. Estimating prevalence using an imperfect test. Epidemiology Research International, 2011.
2. The horizontal blue line shows the overall national proportion (7.32%) calculated from CASS. 95% confidence interval around this estimate was 6.93 to 7.72.
-
Public Health Scotland
17
Discussion This report presents initial results from the first month of CASS. These findings contribute to
our understanding of the extent to which people in the education workforce in Scotland has
had coronavirus in the past.
Overall, the CASS results indicate that the proportion of education staff who had antibodies
to coronavirus was 7.3% (95% CI 6.9%–7.7%) in the period from mid-October to mid-
November 2020. This result is consistent with estimates of the proportion of the general adult
population in Scotland who had antibodies in this period from the Office for National Statistics
(ONS) COVID-19 Infection Survey. This ONS survey tests individuals in a sample of
households to estimate the proportion of the population that would test positive for
antibodies. It therefore provides the best available comparison data. For October 2020, the
ONS survey estimated that 7.1% of the population in Scotland aged over 16 years would
have tested positive (95% CI 4.6%–10.4%) and 7.3% in November (95% CI 5.9%–10.8%).6
No direct comparison of CASS findings with other occupational groups is currently possible,
as this survey method has only been applied in Scotland. However, the ONS Survey provides
estimates for England by occupational group; in October 2020 it was estimated that 8.1% of
those working in the education sector would have tested positive for antibodies (95% CI
5.9%–10.8%).6
The main results presented are based on estimates of seroprevalence that have been
adjusted to take account of how accurate the test is in identifying antibodies, using
established methods which have also been used by Public Health England and the PHS
Serology Workstream.7 The Public Health England laboratory estimate of the sensitivity of
the test used in CASS (the probability that it will give a positive result when the subject being
6www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/conditionsanddiseases/articles/coronavir
uscovid19infectionsinthecommunityinengland/december2020#likelihood-of-testing-positive-for-covid-19-
antibodies-in-england-wales-northern-ireland-and-scotland
1. Diggle PJ, 2011. Estimating prevalence using an imperfect test. Epidemiology Research
International, 2011.
http://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/conditionsanddiseases/articles/coronaviruscovid19infectionsinthecommunityinengland/december2020#likelihood-of-testing-positive-for-covid-19-antibodies-in-england-wales-northern-ireland-and-scotlandhttp://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/conditionsanddiseases/articles/coronaviruscovid19infectionsinthecommunityinengland/december2020#likelihood-of-testing-positive-for-covid-19-antibodies-in-england-wales-northern-ireland-and-scotlandhttp://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/conditionsanddiseases/articles/coronaviruscovid19infectionsinthecommunityinengland/december2020#likelihood-of-testing-positive-for-covid-19-antibodies-in-england-wales-northern-ireland-and-scotland
-
Public Health Scotland
18
tested actually has antibodies) is 86.1% at 14 or more days after the onset of COVID-19
symptoms. The adjustment generates an estimate of what the seroprevalence would be if the
test were 100% accurate, therefore the adjusted estimates for CASS are higher than the
unadjusted estimates. The unadjusted estimates simply reflect the proportion of CASS
participants who had a positive antibody test. It is not yet known how long antibodies remain
detectable following coronavirus infection.
Several differences in antibody positivity by job role and workplace setting were observed in
CASS, though these were small and of uncertain meaning in public health terms. The
estimated proportion of participants with non-White ethnicities with antibodies to coronavirus
is based on a relatively small sample and has a wide confidence interval. This means that
although the higher point estimate for these participants compared with White participants
may reflect a true difference between population groups, the data suggest it could also be the
result of chance.
The CASS findings showed considerable variation in antibody positivity by local authority of
the workplace. Broadly, this was consistent what we would expect based on the geographical
differences in coronavirus infection rates in the general population. The highest rates of
positive antibody tests were seen in Inverclyde, Glasgow City, Renfrewshire and North
Lanarkshire, all of which are local authorities in the west of the central belt in Scotland that
has seen relatively high occurrence of COVID-19 across the two waves of the pandemic.
Antibodies may be present as a result of infection at any point in the coronavirus pandemic,
so infection rates in both the first and second wave may have a bearing on results.
The CASS sample is large, with nearly 20,000 participants in the first month of analysis. It is,
however, not fully representative of the whole education workforce. Table A2 provides some
information to help assess representativeness, though it is limited by the availability of data
on the characteristics of the populations of education staff, and in some circumstances
indicative figures are used which are not directly comparable. The majority of CASS
participants were teachers, with other staff groups very likely to be under-represented in
comparison. Women were more likely than men to participate, and it is also possible that
some ethnic groups are under-represented. CASS participants were more likely to live in
relatively affluent deprivation quintiles. This distribution is especially marked for teachers,
-
Public Health Scotland
19
although in the absence of comparison data it is not possible to ascertain if this is because of
the socio-economic status of teachers in general, or because of bias in the CASS sample.
Furthermore, CASS is based on open recruitment, with anyone within the eligible population
able to volunteer and take part. This means that differences in how information about the
study reached different geographical and occupational groups may have introduced bias into
the cohort. For example, sharing of information through social media may have resulted in
people who use particular forms of social media or belong to specific groups being more
likely to participate. Similarly, individual motivations for taking part may also have influenced
the findings, for example if people who were more anxious about coronavirus, or who thought
they had already had COVID-19, were more likely to sign up.
It is important to note that the current results are based on the description of findings in single
groups, and do not take account of factors which may overlap, such as the interaction
between job role and social and demographic factors. Future, more detailed, analyses will be
able to adjust for some of these factors to some extent and provide further insight into the
factors associated with having antibodies detected. Further rounds of data from CASS will
also permit monitoring over time, providing information on if and how the proportion of
education staff with antibodies to coronavirus changes through the 2020/21 school year.
-
Public Health Scotland
20
Glossary Antibodies: Specific proteins produced by the body when fighting infections.
CHI: Community Health Index, an administrative unique identification used in health records in Scotland.
COVID-19: The disease caused by the new strain of coronavirus known as SARS-CoV-2.
Prevalence: The proportion of individuals in a population that have a disease (or positive test) over a specific time.
SARS-CoV-2: Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2, the new strain of coronavirus that causes COVID-19.
Serology: A blood test carried out in a component of blood known as serum.
Seroprevalence: The proportion of individuals who tested positive for antibodies against a specific infection among all those tested. In this report, it is used as an estimate of how many
people have been infected by coronavirus in the population.
-
Public Health Scotland
21
Contact Dr Diane Stockton Email: [email protected]
Dr Lynda Fenton Consultant in Public Health Medicine Phone: 0141 201 4726
Email: [email protected]
For all media enquiries please email [email protected] or call 07500 854574.
Further information Further information and data for this publication are available from the publication page on
our website.
Rate this publication Let us know what you think about this publication via the link at the bottom of this publication
page on the PHS website.
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]
-
Public Health Scotland
22
Appendix 1 – Data tables Table A1: Number of participants per local authority
Local authority Total Proportion (%) Aberdeen City 607 3.09 Aberdeenshire 826 4.20 Angus 530 2.70 Argyll and Bute 323 1.64 City of Edinburgh 1,564 7.96 Clackmannanshire 233 1.19 Dumfries and Galloway 580 2.95 Dundee City 519 2.64 East Ayrshire 464 2.36 East Dunbartonshire 492 2.50 East Lothian 427 2.17 East Renfrewshire 482 2.45 Falkirk 666 3.39 Fife 1,208 6.15 Glasgow City 1,789 9.10 Highland 642 3.27 Inverclyde 281 1.43 Midlothian 441 2.24 Moray 358 1.82 Na h-Eileanan Siar 37 0.19 North Ayrshire 450 2.29 North Lanarkshire 1,132 5.76 Orkney Islands 48 0.24 Perth and Kinross 627 3.19 Renfrewshire 605 3.08 Scottish Borders 299 1.52 Shetland Islands 118 0.60 South Ayrshire 417 2.12 South Lanarkshire 1,387 7.06 Stirling 411 2.09 West Dunbartonshire 442 2.25 West Lothian 1,068 5.43 Unknown 180 0.92 Total 19,653 100.00
-
Public Health Scotland
23
Table A2: Comparison of participants to the background population
Characteristic CASS teachers / head teachers
National comparison for teachers
CASS support staff
Support staff comparison
CASS ELC staff
Comparison for ELC staff
CASS wider education workforce
Overall numbers 12,171 Approx. 52,000 2,394 - 2,537 2,303
Sex Male 15.6% Approx. 23% 2.7% - 1.4% Approx. 2% 6.4%
Female 84.4% Approx. 77% 97.3% - 98.6% Approx. 98% 93.6% Age in years
Average age = 40 years
16-39 51.0% 22.9% - 53.2% - 27.4%
40+ 49.0% 77.1% - 46.8% - 72.6% Ethnicity
White British 95.3% Approx. 89% 97.0% - 96.3% - 97.0% White non-British 3.5% Approx. 3% 2.0% - 2.6% - 2.4%
Asian, Asian Scottish or Asian British 0.5% Minority
ethnic group approx 1-2%
0.5% - 0.5% - *
Caribbean or Black * * - * - * Other 0.6% 0.3% - 0.4% - 0.3%
Workplace setting Early Learning and
Childcare 0.7% Approx. 2% 2.7% - 88.6% - 25.8%
Primary School 50.5% Approx. 49% 62.4% Approx. 63% 8.3% - 37.4% Secondary School 43.4% Approx. 46% 20.4% Approx. 22% * - 22.3%
Special School 3.6% Approx. 4% 10.4% Approx. 15% 0.7% - 2.3% Other 0.8% - 1.8% - 1.1% - 10.2%
Unknown 0.9% - 2.3% - 1.1% - 2.0% SIMD quintile
1 (Most deprived) 6.6% - 13.7% - 14.8% - 14.8% 2 13.1% - 18.5% - 21.2% - 18.7% 3 19.0% - 19.8% - 22.5% - 21.6% 4 28.1% - 24.1% - 22.3% - 22.4%
5 (Least deprived) 33.2% - 23.8% - 19.3% - 22.5%
Comparisons for teachers from www.gov.scot/publications/teacher-census-supplementary-statistics/
(2019; unlike CASS data does not include Head Teachers); comparisons for support staff from
www.gov.scot/publications/school-support-staff-statistics/ (2019, based on FTE and not head count);
comparisons for ELC staff from https://data.sssc.uk.com/data-publications/228-the-children-s-
services-workforce-2018 (2018. No comparison data were available for the wider education
workforce. Note that approximate figures are indicative only and are estimates based on published
http://www.gov.scot/publications/school-support-staff-statistics/https://data.sssc.uk.com/data-publications/228-the-children-s-services-workforce-2018https://data.sssc.uk.com/data-publications/228-the-children-s-services-workforce-2018
-
Public Health Scotland
24
data where comparison groups do not directly match CASS data. * Indicates that data are not
presented for disclosure reasons. Prefer not to say and missing responses not shown.
-
Public Health Scotland
25
Table A3: Unadjusted proportion of individuals testing positive for antibodies to coronavirus by personal and occupational characteristics1, 2
Characteristic Proportion (%) Lower limit for 95% confidence interval
Upper limit for 95% confidence interval
Overall 6.30 5.97 6.65 Sex
Male 6.25 5.90 6.61 Female 6.76 5.78 7.89
Prefer not to say * * * Age in years
16-39 6.19 5.70 6.71 40+ 6.39 5.94 6.86
Ethnicity White 6.28 5.94 6.63
Non-White 9.63 6.18 14.70 Prefer not to say * * *
Socioeconomic deprivation 1 (Most deprived) 7.43 6.32 8.71
2 6.75 5.91 7.69 3 5.65 4.97 6.42 4 6.10 5.48 6.79
5 (Least deprived) 6.31 5.71 6.97 Workplace setting
Early Learning and Childcare 7.10 6.23 8.07 Primary School 6.60 6.10 7.14
Secondary School 5.39 4.86 5.97 Special School 6.79 5.23 8.77
Other 5.30 3.53 7.90 Unknown 9.39 6.34 13.69
Job role Teaching and support staff 6.10 5.72 6.50
Early learning and childcare staff 6.46 5.57 7.49 Wider education workforce 7.56 6.55 8.71
Unknown 4.84 2.79 8.27 Local authority
Aberdeen City 6.75 5.02 9.04 Aberdeenshire 2.42 1.57 3.71
Angus 3.40 2.16 5.30 Argyll and Bute * * *
City of Edinburgh 6.39 5.29 7.72 Clackmannanshire 8.15 5.28 12.38
Dumfries and Galloway 3.45 2.24 5.27 Dundee City 6.74 4.89 9.23
East Ayrshire 4.31 2.81 6.56
-
Public Health Scotland
26
Characteristic Proportion (%) Lower limit for 95% confidence interval
Upper limit for 95% confidence interval
East Dunbartonshire 7.93 5.85 10.65 East Lothian 5.39 3.62 7.95
East Renfrewshire 7.26 5.27 9.93 Falkirk 7.66 5.87 9.93
Fife 5.88 4.69 7.35 Glasgow City 8.94 7.71 10.36
Highland 3.89 2.65 5.69 Inverclyde 16.01 12.19 20.76 Midlothian 6.58 4.62 9.28
Moray 3.07 1.72 5.42 Na h-Eileanan Siar * * *
North Ayrshire 5.56 3.79 8.07 North Lanarkshire 8.13 6.67 9.86
Orkney Islands * * * Perth and Kinross 3.35 2.20 5.07
Renfrewshire 8.43 6.47 10.91 Scottish Borders 3.34 1.83 6.05 Shetland Islands * * *
South Ayrshire 4.80 3.13 7.29 South Lanarkshire 7.21 5.96 8.69
Stirling 6.81 4.76 9.67 West Dunbartonshire 7.92 5.75 10.81
West Lothian 7.02 5.64 8.71 Unknown 6.11 3.45 10.61
5. These values are not adjusted for the accuracy of the test and differ from the adjusted figures. 6. Values for some characteristics are suppressed (shown as * in the table) to preserve participant
confidentiality.
-
Public Health Scotland
27
Table A4: Proportion of individuals testing positive for antibodies to coronavirus by personal and occupational characteristics1
Characteristic Proportion (%) 95% Confidence Interval
Overall 7.32 6.93 to 7.72 Sex
Male 7.85 6.71 to 9.16 Female 7.25 6.85 to 7.68
Prefer not to say 0.00 0.00 to 34.74 Age in years
16-39 7.19 6.62 to 7.79 40+ 7.42 6.90 to 7.97
Ethnicity White 7.29 6.90 to 7.70
non-White 11.18 7.17 to 17.07 Not known 0.00 0.00 to 12.81
Socioeconomic deprivation based on area of residence 1 (Most deprived) 8.63 7.34 to 10.12
2 7.83 6.86 to 8.94 3 6.57 5.77 to 7.46 4 7.09 6.37 to 7.89
5 (Least deprived) 7.33 6.63 to 8.10 Workplace setting
Early Learning and Childcare 8.24 7.24 to 9.37 Primary School 7.67 7.09 to 8.29
Secondary School 6.26 5.65 to 6.94 Special School 7.88 6.07 to 10.19
Other 6.16 4.10 to 9.17 Unknown 10.90 7.36 to 15.90
Job role Teaching and support staff 7.08 6.64 to 7.55
Early learning and childcare staff 7.51 6.47 to 8.70 Wider education workforce 8.78 7.60 to 10.11
Unknown 5.62 3.24 to 9.60 1. Values reported here were adjusted for test accuracy using Bayesian methods described in
Diggle PJ, 2011. Estimating prevalence using an imperfect test. Epidemiology Research International, 2011.
-
Public Health Scotland
28
Table A5: Proportion of individuals testing positive for antibodies to coronavirus per local authority of workplace1, 2
Local authority Proportion (%) Lower limit for 95% confidence interval
Upper limit for 95% confidence interval
Aberdeen City 7.84 5.83 10.49 Aberdeenshire 2.81 1.83 4.31
Angus 3.94 2.51 6.16 Argyll and Bute * * *
City of Edinburgh 7.43 6.14 8.96 Clackmannanshire 9.47 6.14 14.38
Dumfries and Galloway 4.00 2.61 6.12 Dundee City 7.83 5.68 10.73
East Ayrshire 5.01 3.26 7.62 East Dunbartonshire 9.21 6.80 12.37
East Lothian 6.26 4.20 9.24 East Renfrewshire 8.43 6.12 11.53
Falkirk 8.89 6.82 11.53 Fife 6.83 5.44 8.54
Glasgow City 10.39 8.95 12.03 Highland 4.52 3.08 6.60
Inverclyde 18.60 14.16 24.11 Midlothian 7.64 5.36 10.78
Moray 3.57 2.00 6.29 Na h-Eileanan Siar * * *
North Ayrshire 6.45 4.40 9.38 North Lanarkshire 9.44 7.75 11.46
Orkney Islands * * * Perth and Kinross 3.89 2.56 5.88
Renfrewshire 9.79 7.51 12.68 Scottish Borders 3.88 2.12 7.02 Shetland Islands * * *
South Ayrshire 5.57 3.63 8.47 South Lanarkshire 8.37 6.93 10.10
Stirling 7.91 5.52 11.23 West Dunbartonshire 9.20 6.68 12.56
West Lothian 8.16 6.55 10.12 Unknown 7.10 4.00 12.32
1. Values reported here were adjusted for test accuracy using Bayesian methods described in Diggle PJ, 2011. Estimating prevalence using an imperfect test. Epidemiology Research International, 2011. Values for some local authorities suppressed (shown as * in the table) since these authorities had fewer than 5 positive tests of antibodies to coronavirus. This was done according to the Public Health Scotland statistical disclosure protocol to preserve participant confidentiality.
-
Public Health Scotland
29
Appendix 2 – Publication metadata Metadata Indicator Description
Publication title COVID-19 Antibody Survey in education Staff (CASS) Description Descriptive results of the
Theme Enhanced surveillance Topic Seroprevalence, COVID-19, Education
Format Text, tables and charts data Data source(s) CASS, Antibody testing data
Date that data are acquired October-November 2020 Release date 16/12/2020
Frequency As appropriate Timeframe of data and
timeliness COVID-19 antibody serology tests date 17 October 2020 to 16 November 2020
Continuity of data N/A Revisions statement N/A
Revisions relevant to this publication
N/A
Concepts and definitions See methodology and glossary. Relevance and key uses of
the statistics Pandemic management: Communicable disease control
Accuracy Completeness Comparability This is the first presentation of these data in Scotland.
Accessibility Public Health Scotland follows published guidelines to make publications accessible.
Coherence and clarity Value type and unit of
measurement Percentage of tests that are positive.
Disclosure Statistical disclosure controlled applied according to Public Health Scotland Disclosure Protocol.
Official Statistics designation Management Information Release UK Statistics Authority
Assessment N/A
Last published 16 December 2020 Next published TBC
Date of first publication 16 December 2020 Help email
Date form completed 10 December 2020
-
Public Health Scotland
30
Appendix 3 – Early access details Pre-Release Access Under terms of the ‘Pre-Release Access to Official Statistics (Scotland) Order 2008’, PHS is
obliged to publish information on those receiving Pre-Release Access (‘Pre-Release Access’
refers to statistics in their final form prior to publication). The standard maximum Pre-Release
Access is five working days. Shown below are details of those receiving standard Pre-
Release Access.
Standard Pre-Release Access • Scottish Government Health Department
• NHS Board Chief Executives
• NHS Board Communication leads
Early Access for Management Information These statistics will also have been made available to those who needed access to
‘management information’, for example as part of the delivery of health and care:
• Scottish Government Education Department
• Directors of Public Health
Early Access for Quality Assurance These statistics will also have been made available to those who needed access to help
quality assure the publication:
• Katie Allison, COVID Public Health Directorate: Health and Social Care Analysis Hub,
Scottish Government
• Rebekah Carton, Antibody & Surveillance Testing Team Leader, Scottish Government
-
Public Health Scotland
31
Appendix 4 – PHS and Official Statistics About Public Health Scotland (PHS) PHS is a knowledge-based and intelligence-driven organisation with a critical reliance on
data and information to enable it to be an independent voice for the public’s health, leading
collaboratively and effectively across the Scottish public health system, accountable at local
and national levels, and providing leadership and focus for achieving better health and
wellbeing outcomes for the population. Our statistics comply with the Code of Practice for
Statistics in terms of trustworthiness, high quality and public value. This also means that we
keep data secure at all stages, through collection, processing, analysis and output
production, and adhere to the ‘five safes’.
https://www.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/code-of-practice/the-code/https://www.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/code-of-practice/the-code/https://blog.ons.gov.uk/2017/01/27/the-five-safes-data-privacy-at-ons/
Report 1Publication date: 16 December 2020Participant recruitment and testingPeriod of analysisData sourcesOutcomes Information governance Participant characteristicsProportion of participants testing positive for antibodies to coronavirus Analyses by sex, age and ethnicityAnalyses by workplace setting and job roleAnalyses by deprivation index Analyses by local authority of workplace
Discussion Pre-Release AccessStandard Pre-Release AccessEarly Access for Management InformationEarly Access for Quality AssuranceAbout Public Health Scotland (PHS)