The new SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.1.7 detected in the UK is rapidly spreading to other European countries. Due to concerns about these variants and high incidence levels, progressively enhanced social distancing measures were introduced in France in 2021.

Following the signing of the Grant Agreement by the European Commission (EC), ECRAID-Base has secured funding of 30 million euros and will commence March 1st 2021. ECRAID-Base is the core set of activities for ECRAID (the European Clinical Research Alliance for Infectious Diseases), which aspires to become the first of its kind, pan-European clinical research network for infectious diseases in Europe. Over the five-year duration of ECRAID-Base, ECRAID will evolve into a self-sustaining, not-for-profit organisation conducting clinical research for both public and private sponsors.

In collaboration with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), the RECOVER Social Sciences team has published a policy brief based on their latest study on public views of COVID-19 vaccination in seven European countries: France, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Sweden, and Ukraine.

REMAP-CAP, an Adaptive Platform Trial for Community-Acquired Pneumonia, launched its second in a series of videos. The video shows the uniqueness, smart, and easy-to-handle design of this trial. As an adaptive platform, REMAP-CAP is designed to adapt in the event of a pandemic, increasing the likelihood of patients receiving an effective treatment.

This decision based on an initial analysis of all severely ill COVID-19 trial participants requiring intensive care unit (ICU) support. This analysis showed that convalescent plasma did not improve outcomes in this group. There was no evidence of harm associated with the administration of convalescent plasma.

Initial findings reported in November showed that tocilizumab, a drug used to treat arthritis, was likely to improve outcomes among critically ill COVID-19 patients. But the impact on patient survival and length of time on organ support in ICU was not clear at that time.
Now, the latest analysis shows that tocilizumab and a second drug called sarilumab – both types of immune modulators called IL-6 receptor antagonists – have a significant impact on patient survival, reducing mortality by 8.5%.

Working under pandemic conditions exposes health care workers (HCWs) to infection risk and psychological strain. Protecting the physical and psychological health of HCWs is a key priority. The Social Sciences team of RECOVER assessed the perceptions of European hospital HCWs of local infection prevention and control (IPC) procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact on their emotional wellbeing.

Critically ill patients with COVID-19 treated with a drug that reduces inflammation by modifying the immune system require shorter durations of organ support in the intensive care unit, an international study has found.

REMAP-CAP, an Adaptive Platform Trial for Community-Acquired Pneumonia, launched its first in a series of videos. The video shows the uniqueness, smart, and easy-to-handle design of this trial. As an adaptive platform, REMAP-CAP is designed to adapt in the event of a pandemic, increasing the likelihood of patients receiving an effective treatment.

Our research presents an in-depth analysis of data from drive through testing stations using rapid antigen detection tests, to assess their ability of to detect infectious cases. We show that the detection limits of five commercially available tests differ considerably, impacting the translation into the detection of infectious cases.