The project´s main aim is to obtain epidemiological and clinical information on patients with COVID-19 as well as virological information on SARS-CoV-2, through (a) provision of a flexible surveillance platform (adaptable to the epidemiological situation), (b) res-earch studies and (c) evaluation of public health interventions (e.g. vaccination, antivirals), in order to contribute to the knowledge base, guide patient management, and inform the public health response. This will be achieved through adaptation and expansion of the existing, long-running, Europe-wide influenza surveillance network (I-MOVE) to include COVID-19. The network includes primary care networks, hospitals, and national laboratory reference centres in 10 countries across the WHO European Region.

The I-MOVE-COVID-19 priority activities and research projects will be selected based on ECDC/WHO input and the proposal’s detailed list. These will be conducted by mobilising an existing large European multidisciplinary network, combining the expertise and resources of groups working in surveillance (epidemiological, clinical, virological), respiratory disease research, and evaluation of vaccines/treatments. Through protocol sharing and pooling of European results, questions will be answered which could not be efficiently answered by countries acting alone. The I-MOVE-COVID-19 project will share study results rapidly and widely and contribute to the clinical management of patients, public health preparedness and response to COVID-19.