The MERMAIDS-ARI recruitment period has now ended. The dedication of the clinical network and combined efforts of the PREPARE partners have collaborated spectacularly by hitting a milestone of over 1500 patients! This makes it by far the largest ever study of the pathogenesis of Acute Respiratory Infections (ARI). MERMAIDS-ARI is looking forward to exciting results over the coming months and years, which we believe will provide new insights into why some people develop severe ARI and how we can predict and prevent poor outcomes.