COVID19-CAPNOR

Cohort study of COVID-19 Nested within an RCT of Patients with Community Acquired Pneumonia: Disease severity, Management, and Outcomes

The COVID 19-CAPNOR study brings together a multidisciplinary research team that seeks to conduct research that will contribute to optimizing patient management.The Bergen CAPNOR consortium has received funding from the Research Council of Norway (NORCAP  288718) and co-funding from the Trond Mohn foundation (RESPNOR 815276) to recruit patients hospitalized for community acquired pneumonia (CAP) at the Emergency Department (ED Haukeland University Hospital (HUS), Bergen, into a  randomized controlled trial (RCT) to assess the impact of comprehensive ultra-rapid, molecular diagnostics compared to current standard of care on a broad range of clinical outcomes. CAPNOR, comprising a preparatory pilot study and the RCT (n=1390) has received approval from the Regional Ethics Committee (REK; 31935). COVID-19 cannot be distinguished clinically from other pneumonias. We propose to rapidly leverage our skill base to include patients with suspected COVID-19 into the ongoing CAP RCT. The patient-centred, opportunity driven cohort study will contribute to optimising sampling and diagnostic strategies; optimizing patient management; optimising virus detection and genetic strain characterisation; supporting capacity building, infection prevention and control measures and best practice to protect health care workers.

Recent publications:

•  Impact of rapid molecular testing on diagnosis, treatment and management of community-acquired pneumonia in Norway: a pragmatic randomised controlled trial (CAPNOR). Serigstad S, Ritz C, Faurholt-Jepsen D, Markussen D, Ebbesen MH, Kommedal Ø, Bjørneklett RO, Heggelund L, Clark TW, van Werkhoven CH, Knoop ST, Ulvestad E, Grewal HMS; CAPNOR study group.Trials. 2022 Aug 1;23(1):622. doi: 10.1186/s13063-022-06467-7
• Comparison of rapid molecular testing methods for detecting respiratory viruses in emergency care: a prospective study. Markussen DL, Grewal HMS, Knoop ST, Serigstad S, Kommedal Ø, Ebbesen M, Ulvestad E, Bjørneklett R; CAPNOR Study Group.Infect Dis (Lond). 2022 Apr;54(4):247-254. doi: 10.1080/23744235.2021.2003857.
• The changing spectrum of microbial aetiology of respiratory tract infections in hospitalized patients before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Serigstad S, Markussen DL, Ritz C, Ebbesen MH, Knoop ST, Kommedal Ø, Heggelund L, Ulvestad E, Bjørneklett RO, Grewal HMS; CAPNOR study group.BMC Infect Dis. 2022 Sep 30;22(1):763. doi: 10.1186/s12879-022-07732-5