News

ISARIC launches Dengue Clinical Characterisation Protocol

ISARIC launches Dengue Clinical Characterisation Protocol

In collaboration with clinicians and researchers from Asia and South America, ISARIC has launched the Clinical Characterisation Protocol for Dengue (CCP-Dengue). Dengue, a vector-borne, neglected tropical disease, is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. The WHO estimates that 390 million dengue infections occur annually. 70% of this burden is in Asia. Recently, there have been massive dengue outbreaks around the world, with tragically high numbers of deaths in Bangladesh and Read more

ISARIC researchers host patient and public involvement and engagement summit in Pakistan

ISARIC researchers host patient and public involvement and engagement summit in Pakistan

Ziauddin University, an ISARIC Member network, brought together patient and public engagement experts, healthcare professionals and patient advocates during a summit held in Karachi, Pakistan on August 17, 2024.  The conference provided a platform to discuss PPIE challenges and opportunities in Pakistan’s research landscape, and was hosted by the Critical Care Medicine Research Group, Pakistan’s first ever PPIE group to support clinical trials. The group is headed by Dr Madiha Hashmi, who ... Read more

Towards rapid and secure sharing of epidemiological and clinical data to tackle emerging infectious diseases

Towards rapid and secure sharing of epidemiological and clinical data to tackle emerging infectious diseases

Global.health, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio) and ISARIC are excited to announce a new partnership for rapid ingestion, processing, standardisation, and secure sharing of global clinical data. In the next five years, the collaborative will expand their partnership around three main aims: Co-develop scalable clinical data pipelines for the harmonization of data across clinical research sites. Develop community resources and ... Read more

From silo to synergy: working together to accelerate defences against viral outbreaks – CEPI & ISARIC

From silo to synergy: working together to accelerate defences against viral outbreaks – CEPI & ISARIC

Wajeeha Malik (written in collaboration with CEPI) In an outbreak, every day counts. Each unnecessary phone call or duplicative process wastes time and costs lives – especially in resource-stretched settings. There is a clear need for collaborative and coordinated research across medical countermeasures to help accelerate the response and reduce the threat of epidemics and pandemics. At the moment, research for vaccines and therapeutics is often conducted in silos, decelerating momentum and Read more

Delphi survey launched by the ISARIC Dengue Core Outcome Set team

Delphi survey launched by the ISARIC Dengue Core Outcome Set team

20 July 2024: The Dengue Core Outcome Set (DEN-CORE) team has officially launched the first round of their Delphi survey, focusing on outcomes for hospitalised patients with dengue. Individuals involved with dengue in any way are invited to participate in the definition of the most critical dengue outcomes by emailing dencore@isaric.org with an expression of interest. The survey is available in 11 languages: English, Bahasa, Hindi, Malay, Nepali, Portuguese, Spanish, Sinhala, Tagalog, Thai, Read more

ISARIC’s response to H5N1 outbreak in the US: Case Report Form

ISARIC’s response to H5N1 outbreak in the US: Case Report Form

18 June 2024: As part of ISARIC’s H5 readiness due to the increasing concern of H5N1 circulation in several mammals in the USA and the risk of transmission to dairy farm workers, ISARIC is releasing our CRF through all our networks and partners. We are working on aligning data variables with the World Health Organisation (WHO). This aligns with our commitment to strengthening evidence generation for emerging outbreaks. In the context of recent H5N1 infections in humans and increasing ... Read more

Researchers successfully enrol over 220 cases for landmark plague trial

Researchers successfully enrol over 220 cases for landmark plague trial

The first randomised controlled trial powered to evaluate the efficacy and safety of treatments for bubonic plague has enrolled over 220 cases of confirmed or probable bubonic plague in Madagascar, marking a critical milestone in plague treatment research.  Plague has afflicted humanity for millennia, and is still a high-risk pathogen today. However, current treatments are based on weak evidence, as no conclusive clinical trial has ever been conducted. Until today. The IMASOY trial in ... Read more

Shining a spotlight on the stigma associated with emerging infectious diseases

Shining a spotlight on the stigma associated with emerging infectious diseases

ISARIC is collaborating with the Pandemic Sciences Institute (PSI) in the UK, the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research in Bangladesh (icddr,b) and the World Alliance for Lung and Intensive Care Medicine in Uganda (WALIMU) are developing a set of tools to better understand stigma associated with emerging infectious diseases. Read more

Children hospitalised with Omicron did not have a higher risk of experiencing long-term health issues compared to other infections, finds latest study

Children hospitalised with Omicron did not have a higher risk of experiencing long-term health issues compared to other infections, finds latest study

A new study finds that children hospitalised with initial COVID-19 variant showed more signs of dermatological, fatigue, gastrointestinal, sensory, and sleep issues, as well as behavioural and emotional problems Read more

Public health vision led by ISARIC partners aims to tackle Nipah virus

Public health vision led by ISARIC partners aims to tackle Nipah virus

15 January 2024: In a new paper published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, researchers based in Bangladesh, Oxford and Geneva call for a comprehensive public health framework to counter Nipah virus and other neglected infectious diseases with pandemic potential. Read more

Draft framework for clinical trials seeks public feedback

Draft framework for clinical trials seeks public feedback

18 December 2023: The International Severe Acute Respiratory and emerging Infections Consortium (ISARIC) is working with partners to create a framework on endpoint selection for clinical trials for outbreak-prone infectious diseases. This call for a public consultation invites feedback on what the framework does well, what could be improved and the limits of its potential application. Read more

ISARIC/RESPIRE Career Development Fellows Complete Global Placements

ISARIC/RESPIRE Career Development Fellows Complete Global Placements

16 November 2023: Three scientists who were awarded a Career Development Fellowship by the International Severe Acute Respiratory and emerging Infections Consortium (ISARIC) and the NIHR Global Health Research Unit on Respiratory Health (RESPIRE) have completed 2-week placements with research teams in Brazil and the Philippines. Read more

The Pandemic Sciences Institute hosted the ‘Key Features of Technology Platforms for R&D to Rapidly Respond to New Outbreaks’ Webinar

The Pandemic Sciences Institute hosted the ‘Key Features of Technology Platforms for R&D to Rapidly Respond to New Outbreaks’ Webinar

The Pandemic Sciences Institute hosted the 'Key Features of Technology Platforms for R&D to Rapidly Respond to New Outbreaks' Webinar. Read more

A multi-country study of monkeypox being launched – first cases enrolled in Geneva

A multi-country study of monkeypox being launched – first cases enrolled in Geneva Read more

ISARIC member compares COVID-19 hospital admissions during first and second waves in Brazil

ISARIC member compares COVID-19 hospital admissions during first and second waves in Brazil

ISARIC member network Principal Investigator, Fernando Bozza (Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Brazil) collaborated in a study that compared clinical data from COVID-19 hospital admissions during the first and second waves in Brazil. Read more

Researchers start new investigation into Long COVID core outcome set

A group of researchers started this project with the aims of understanding what are the core outcomes for patients living with Long COVID. Read more

ISARIC COVID-19 clinical database passes the half million patient records mark

ISARIC COVID-19 clinical database passes the half million patient records mark

On its 10th anniversary, University of Oxford’s ISARIC (International Severe Acute Respiratory and Emerging Infection Consortium) demonstrates the crucial role of global preparedness and collaboration for advancing knowledge on infectious disease pandemics. Read more

Children older than 6 and with reported allergic diseases are at greater risk of Long COVID, paediatric study finds

Researchers from ISARIC (International Severe Acute Respiratory and emerging Infection Consortium) paediatric Long Covid working group in the UK, Sechenov University and Z.A. Bashlyaeva Children’s Municipal Clinical Hospital in Russia ran the largest study to date on children hospitalised with COVID 19. Read more

Time to reconsider the role of ribavirin in Lassa fever

Ribavirin is the only available Lassa fever–specific treatment and has been used routinely for over 25 years. However, ribavirin is not licensed for Lassa fever, its mechanism of action is unclear, it is expensive and hard to source, and it has well-known toxicities. Read more

Women under 50 had worse long-term outcomes after hospitalisation with COVID-19

Women under 50 had worse long-term outcomes after hospitalisation with COVID-19

Women under 50 and people who experienced severe disease had worse long-term outcomes following hospitalisation with COVID-19. Read more

Key inflammatory markers identified in COVID-19

Key inflammatory markers identified in COVID-19

ISARIC, supported by the UK Coronavirus Immunology Consortium (UK-CIC), has identified new biomarkers of inflammation that both indicate the severity of COVID-19 and distinguish it from severe influenza. Read more

Long COVID: tackling a multifaceted condition requires a multi- disciplinary approach

Long COVID: tackling a multifaceted condition requires a multi- disciplinary approach

The Lancet Infectious Diseases  published the GloPID-R and ISARIC Long COVID Forum Working Group’ letter, describing the content and discussions of the Long COVID Forum which took place on 9-10 December 2020. Read more

Characterisation of the first 250 000 hospital admissions for COVID-19 in Brazil: a retrospective analysis of nationwide data

Characterisation of the first 250 000 hospital admissions for COVID-19 in Brazil: a retrospective analysis of nationwide data

“These regional differences in mortality reflect differences in access to better health care that already existed before the pandemic”, explains Fernando Bozza, study coordinator and researcher at the National Institute of Infectious Disease. Read more

Development and validation of the ISARIC 4C Deterioration model for adults hospitalised with COVID-19: a prospective cohort study

Development and validation of the ISARIC 4C Deterioration model for adults hospitalised with COVID-19: a prospective cohort study

The QCOVID is a new risk prediction tool that uses readily available information about people, such as their age, ethnicity and whether they have certain comorbidities to help identify individuals at highest risk of developing severe illness.  Read more

Genetic mechanisms of critical illness in Covid-19

Genetic mechanisms of critical illness in Covid-19

“Genetic evidence is second only to clinical trials as a way to tell which treatments will be effective in a disease.” Read more

6-month consequences of COVID-19 in patients discharged from hospital: a cohort study

6-month consequences of COVID-19 in patients discharged from hospital: a cohort study

The long-term health consequences of COVID-19 remain largely unclear. The aim of this study was to describe the long-term health consequences of patients with COVID-19 who have been discharged from hospital and investigate the associated risk factors, in particular disease severity. Read more

IDDO and ISARIC partner to support data collection and analysis for COVID-19

IDDO and ISARIC partner to support data collection and analysis for COVID-19

In January 2020, ISARIC launched an international initiative for standardised COVID-19 clinical data collection. Over the past nine months, there has been extensive global participation, resulting in one of the world’s largest collections of comprehensive clinical data for COVID-19. Read more

Global consortium launches new study into long-term effects of COVID-19

Global consortium launches new study into long-term effects of COVID-19

ISARIC, based at Oxford University, in collaboration with Dr Janet Scott, of the MRC-University of Glasgow’s Centre for Virus Research, has launched a longitudinal observational study to measure prevalence and risk factors of long-term health and psychosocial consequences of COVID-19. Read more

New global covid-19 long term study launched

New global covid-19 long term study launched

The international, multi-site study is launched by ISARIC to measure prevalence and risk factors of long-term health and psychosocial consequences of COVID-19. The researchers are inviting hospitals and healthcare sites worldwide to join this new study. Read more

A global study to determine COVID-19 health and psychosocial consequences

A global study to determine COVID-19 health and psychosocial consequences

Even as the COVID-19 pandemic enters into its ninth month, much remains unknown about the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and COVID-19 disease. One such area is the possible long-term consequences of SARS-CoV-2 infection and the risk factors for pathological conditions resulting from the disease. Read more

ISARIC collaboration: New national study into the long-term health impacts of COVID-19 launched

ISARIC collaboration: New national study into the long-term health impacts of COVID-19 launched

A major UK research study into the long-term health impacts of COVID-19 on hospitalised patients, involving researchers from the University of Liverpool, has been launched. The PHOSP-COVID study has been awarded £8.4million jointly by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). Read more

Newly Created: GloPID-R’s Clinical Trial Networks Working Group

Newly Created: GloPID-R’s Clinical Trial Networks Working Group

Various clinical trial networks are being funded by GloPID-R members to ensure a rapid clinical research response to epidemics. The Clinical Trial Networks Working Group (CTN WG) provides the opportunity for networks like ISARIC to meet regularly and learn about each other’s work. Read more

Dr John Amuasi (ISARIC member) has been awarded funding!

Dr John Amuasi (ISARIC member) has been awarded funding!

As part of the response to the emergence of COVID-19, the World Health Organization Africa Regional Office (WHO/AFRO) is organising various infection, prevention and control (IPC) and critical care training activities targeted at low- and middle-income countries in Africa. Read more

The Nuffield Department of Medicine is supporting global efforts in tackling nCoV

The Nuffield Department of Medicine is supporting global efforts in tackling nCoV

Professor Peter Horby summarizes ISARIC's recently launched international protocol which will enable investigators to manage all the data and samples they've collected. Read more

ISARIC responding to the Wuhan novel coronavirus outbreak

ISARIC responding to the Wuhan novel coronavirus outbreak

The International Severe Acute Respiratory and Emerging Infection Consortium (ISARIC) is adapting its existing tools, designed for emerging respiratory pathogens, for the current outbreak of global significance. Read more

£4.5 million award for clinical research consortium to tackle the global threat of epidemic infectious diseases

£4.5 million award for clinical research consortium to tackle the global threat of epidemic infectious diseases

We are really excited to announce that ISARIC has been awarded £4.5 million to accelerate clinical research to prevent illness and deaths from epidemic infectious diseases. Read more

New Statement on Data Sharing signed by ISARIC

New Statement on Data Sharing signed by ISARIC

ISARIC has signed a new statement on sharing research findings and data relevant to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Anyone interested in signing should get in touch with Katherine Littler (K.Littler@wellcome.ac.uk) directly. Read more

NEW ISARIC’s members publication: The hidden burden of influenza

NEW ISARIC’s members publication: The hidden burden of influenza

A review of the extra-pulmonary complications of influenza infection. Read more

Ebola_CP Trial: First plasma donated by survivors in Sierra Leone

Ebola_CP Trial: First plasma donated by survivors in Sierra Leone

First Ebola survivors in Sierra Leone have donated plasma within the Ebola_CP trial led by Calum Semple (ISARIC WG2 Chair) and a team of scientists at the University of Liverpool and the College of Medicine and Allied Health Services, in Sierra Leone. Read more