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The European ORCHESTRA project comes to a close: a symphony of scientists against pandemics
The ORCHESTRA project, Connecting European Cohorts to Increase Common and Effective Response to SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic, has come to an end.
It was a European initiative coordinated by the Infectious Diseases Unit of the University of Verona, bringing together scientists from 37 institutions across 14 countries with the aim of addressing the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The final meeting was hosted in Verona on 7 and 8 October.
Launched in 2020, the project was funded by the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 programme with a €30 million grant and delivered concrete results in the fight against long COVID, namely the long-term consequences of SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Through a comprehensive, 360-degree analysis involving more than 7,000 COVID-19 patients – ranging from mild to severe cases – recruited from over 50 European centres, ORCHESTRA succeeded in accurately describing specific clinical patterns that were previously unknown. Scientists identified four distinct clinical subtypes of long COVID and were able to precisely define the characteristics of patients at risk. The project also demonstrated the effectiveness of vaccines and monoclonal antibodies in reducing the risk of long COVID by more than 80%, while simultaneously monitoring the risk of resistance to these therapies, particularly in vulnerable patients with haematological malignancies.
This intensive collaboration also led to the creation of the ORCHESTRA Data Portal, an open data platform for the international scientific community that brings together the full body of results and knowledge generated through the contributions of all centres involved in the project.
“ORCHESTRA does not merely provide answers to the challenges posed by COVID,” emphasises Evelina Tacconelli, Director of the Infectious Diseases Unit at the University of Verona and Project Coordinator, “but looks to the future, helping us prepare for the pandemics of tomorrow. The ORCHESTRA Data Portal represents a valuable legacy for the global scientific community, a treasure trove of information that will contribute to the fight against infectious diseases with pandemic potential.”
Further evidence of the project’s impact and its commitment to sharing results with the public can be found in the more than 100 scientific publications and the numerous outreach videos produced. ORCHESTRA has thus demonstrated how scientific research can provide a concrete and timely contribution during a public health emergency, supporting clinicians in their daily work and offering solutions for the future.
For further information on the European ORCHESTRA project and its activities, please visit the project website.
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