by: David Nickelson, Director of Research

As the World grapples with the current Coronavirus outbreak, I thought it would be interesting to take a look at how the previous SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) outbreak manifested itself in the patent world.

The SARS outbreak began in November 2002 outside of Hong Kong and eventually ran its course in July of 2003 after infecting 8,000 people and killing nearly 800. The peak of confirmed SARS infections ran from March through May of 2003 as indicated in the chart below using data from the World Health Organization.

To look at the patent impact, I looked for US Applications mentioning Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome or SARS in the title, abstract or claims. We would expect to see some degree of lag as applications get filed and then eventually published, and this appears to be the case, with filings peaking in May 2004, just a little over a year after the worst of the outbreak. Interestingly, we also see an initial spike lagging the outbreak by about one month, indicating the speed with which researchers leapt into action to find treatments.

I know I speak for all of us at Techson when I say that we’re incredibly appreciative for all those seeking to control the current outbreak and to those researching potential cures. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that those working on this problem are coming up with effective therapies even as we speak.

Stay safe and innovative.

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