Study of Emergency PanorOmic Wide Association in Adults With Suspected Respiratory Infectious Disease to Discover New Diagnostic and Treatment Markers

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are conducting an observational study to develop an emergency PanorOmics Wide Association Study ePWAS focused on adult patients with suspected, acute, community-acquired respiratory infectious disease scaRID presenting in emergency departments. The study aims to create a biobank of biological samples and perform targeted research to discover new diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic markers for respiratory infectious diseases, which include viral, bacterial, fungal, and mixed infections, as well as pneumonia and sepsis. This research builds on previous genomic and molecular studies to better understand host responses and disease mechanisms early in the illness. Participants will provide blood and saliva samples collected mostly within 8 days of symptom onset. Those with viral, bacterial, or co-infections will have one sample taken in the emergency department or hospital, with additional samples collected at approximately 24 and 48 hours after symptom onset if they agree. Control subjects, including healthy individuals and those with low illness scores, may also provide samples on a similar schedule. The biobank will include various liquid biopsy specimens such as whole blood, plasma, serum, and salivary components to analyze multiple biological markers across genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and other fields. During the study, participants will be monitored for up to 30 days to evaluate clinical progression using the WHO Clinical Progression Scale and mortality outcomes up to one year. Researchers will collect clinical data alongside biological samples to identify patterns that distinguish low-risk from high-risk patients. The study involves informed consent, with assessments including temperature and symptom tracking to confirm eligibility. This ongoing study is sponsored by The University of Hong Kong and will continue to gather data until at least May 2028.

Emergency PWAS in Respiratory Infectious Disease