ISARIC Study

100% Preventable: As you can see from our play, Tetanus cannot be cured easily once symptoms start and can be costly. But it is almost completely preventable with regular vaccination.
10-Year Rule: Adults need a Tetanus booster shot every 10 years to maintain immunity.
Early booster shot: If you receive a deep or dirty cut (such as in the play, one from a rusty tool), you may need a booster if your last shot was more than 5 years ago.

Principal Investigators
Associate Professor Le Van Tan
Associate Professor Rogier van Doorn

Locations
Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, Viet Nam

Our aim is to better understand the natural history of the infection. This is important to inform the development of intervention strategies and is highly relevant for the current global response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Background

Most clinical research to date has been focusing on COVID-19 patients with moderately severe to severe disease because these are groups of patients that are admitted to hospitals for management worldwide. As a consequence, little is known about the natural history and transmission potential of completely asymptomatic and very mild infection with SARS-CoV-2.

We are in a unique position to study the natural history of SARS-CoV-2 infection due to the strict isolation, quarantine and contract tracing protocols enacted in Viet Nam. We are able, therefore, to recruit patients into our studies at all stages of infection, including pre- and asymptomatic carriers.

We also aim to evaluate the utility potential of wearable devices in monitoring COVID-19 patients remotely, thereby reducing the risk of transmission for healthcare workers.

Objectives:

To describe the clinical, laboratory and virological characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 infection;
To study the immune responses in SARS-CoV-2 infected patients;
To identify potential protein markers that can predict severe disease;
To unravel the evolutionary history of SARS-CoV-2 at both within the human host and population-level;
to evaluate the utility potential of rapid antigen tests for the diagnostics and management of COVID-19 patients;
To develop and sustain a research platform at key institutes and hospitals in Viet Nam to enable the country to rapidly respond to emerging infection outbreaks in the future.