Using research to prepare for outbreaks of severe acute respiratory infection

As part of the SPRINT-SARI and International Severe Acute Respiratory and Emerging Infection Consortium networks of clinical research preparedness for future SARI outbreaks, we are collecting period prevalence data for SARI across disparate research networks and hospitals around the world. The primary aim in establishing this network is to create a global collection of hospitals, from disparate regions and hospital types, primed to collect observational data on patients with SARI in a future outbreak. 3 This involves annual data collection rehearsals to both better understand epidemiology over time and to maintain institutional familiarity BMJ Global Health with the process of clinical research data collection. 4 The importance of preapproved protocols for research during emergencies has been well demonstrated. 5 6 This is the first time that the global readiness to conduct such outbreak-related research has been repeatedly tested using a common data set among many global regions.