The WHO yesterday declared the outbreak of novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. ASTMH is following the outbreak and is committed to supporting the international response to the 2019-nCoV outbreak.
Our members are playing keys roles in the response, as public health practitioners, healthcare workers, researchers and policy makers working within or in collaboration with the WHO, CDC and other national and local health institutions, NIH, Wellcome Trust, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and academic and research centers.
The Society is dedicated to providing the advocacy needed to promote the mission of its members and partner institutions during this public health emergency:
● President Joel G. Breman, MD, DTPH, FIDSA, FASTMH, wrote an opinion piece about the coronavirus, The world has seen outbreaks like coronavirus before. Have we learned from them?, that was published by The Hill just hours before the WHO declaration.
Furthermore, Dr. Breman has convened an ASTMH Epidemic Response Task Force to identify how the Society can best employ its mission of service, education, dissemination of research and best practices, and advocacy to aid the response to this outbreak as well as future public health emergencies.
● Past President Chandy C. John, MD, MS, FASTMH, was interviewed by Scientific American last week for the article China’s Citywide Quarantines: Are They Ethical and Effective?
● Other members have given interviews and written op-ed pieces to educate the public on the critical need for outbreak response and to advocate for support and needed funds to not only respond but prepare for future outbreaks.
The outbreak of the Novel Coronavirus 2019 (2019-nCoV) is rapidly evolving as a public health threat in China, where it was first identified, and globally as the virus has spread. The origins of the outbreak began with the identification of a cluster of patients with pneumonia in the city of Wuhan in December 2019. A previously unidentified betacoronavirus, 2019-nCoV, was found to be the cause of the cluster that was linked to a live animal market. Although initial transmission was likely due to spillover exposure with an unidentified animal source, person-to-person transmission has been documented, which together with movement and travel has led to a dramatic increase in case numbers in the past two weeks.
