Clinical Biological Studies
The overall goals of the Clinical Biological Studies are to:
- Provide answers to key outstanding questions on SARS-CoV-2 severity, and transmissibility during evolution of the current pandemic and in the European context. This work will build from expertise in MERS, SARS, and human coronaviruses, and refocus the tools developed for studies of these pathogens in PREPARE, COMPARE, and ZAPI to include the SARS-CoV-2.
- In addition, this work is a collaboration between RECOVER and the Pasteur Institute of Shanghai (member of the Institut Pasteur Asia Pacific Network) and the Chinese Academy of Science Affiliated Hospital in Hefei.
Clinical Biological Studies Team
Marion Koopmans
Lead
Christian Drosten
Co-Lead
Bart Haagmans
Victor Corman
Sylvie Van der Werf
Menno de Jong
The clinical biological studies are divided into two different study parts:
Clinical Biology
Clinical Biology (China)
Clinical Biology
The research objectives of the patient-based lab studies are:
- Prepare essential protocols and standards for the laboratory evaluation of patient samples collected through the WP2, 3 and 6 studies;
- Provide characterisation of viruses through in vitro and in vivo studies, to allow phenotypic characterisation of antigenic, virulence, and possible resistance traits for rapid risk assessment purposes;
- Assess the possible role of prior coronavirus exposures to susceptibility, severity, and transmissibility;
- Characterise the host transcriptome in patients with SARS-CoV-2 in order to understand development of severe disease and identify biomarkers for severity.
The following population-based study objectives will be addressed:
- Monitor evolution of the pandemic and contribute to the reference database for precision public health by characterization of viral genomes and phenotypic traits;
- Determine the population incidence of cross-reactive antibodies in selected sites in Europe in liaison with the ECDC coordinated seroprevalence study.
Clinical Biology (China)
This study is a collaboration between RECOVER WP5, Pasteur Institute (IP) of Shanghai, and the Chinese Academy of Science Affiliated Hospital in Hefei. IP Shanghai provides the laboratory research support for the Chinese Academy of Science Affiliated Hospital in Hefei, which is a designated centre for the case of patients infected with SARS-CoV-2.
The research objectives of the patient-based laboratory studies are:
- Describe the natural history of SARS-CoV-2 in relation to transmissibility in patients admitted to the Hefei hospital;
- Provide characterisation of viruses, to allow phenotypic characterisation, and characterisation of immune response for rapid risk assessment purpose;
- Assess the possible role of prior coronavirus exposures to susceptibility, severity, and transmissibility.
The following population-based study objectives will be addressed:
- Monitor evolution of the epidemic and contribute to the reference database for precision public health by characterization of viral genomes and phenotypic traits.