ASTMH at Work in COVID-19

Posted 20 July 2020

Society Efforts Visible in Journal, News Media, Advocacy and Webinars

 

 

ASTMH is actively represented in just about every aspect of the COVID-19 pandemic as public health practitioners, healthcare workers and researchers. We are being tapped by the news media as experts and writing op-ed pieces about the need for outbreak support. Our Journal is publishing new papers on the topic almost daily and we are providing free webinars about this novel coronavirus. The Society has been busy, too, on the policy front advocating for support and needed funds to respond and prepare for future outbreaks.

 

I want to share my gratitude for all of the work everyone out there is doing. And I know my colleagues on the Board feel just as heartened by the commitment of all our members to alleviate the suffering happening to so many right now. Thank you.

 

Our ASTMH staff has been monitoring the efforts of many of our members and leadership during this crisis. While not a comprehensive list, we offer below a sample of where your fellow members have appeared in the public spotlight during the last few months. Send us your own accounts and, please, be safe and be well.

 

Joel G. Breman, MD, DTPH, FIDSA, FASTMH

President
 


 

The Journal 

 


 

The Journal has been giving high priority to all COVID-19 manuscripts during the pandemic. Accepted manuscripts are posted to the  almost immediately. 

At least three of the Journal's COVID-19 papers have been reported in the news media:

 

Journal study reported.

 

Research from a Journal article reported.

 

Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine study referenced.

 
National and International News Media Coverage

A sampling of ASTMH leaders tapped by the media as experts in the COVID-19 pandemic:

 

 
 


Boston Concerned About Spread Of Coronavirus With Return Of Off-Campus Students
Board member and Journal Section Editor David Hamer











 
 

Testing delays are hurting the effort to contain COVID-19
Board member and Journal Section Editor David Hamer was interviewed.
 









 
 

VERIFY: Can mosquitoes spread COVID-19?
Past President Stephen Higgs, PhD, FRES, FASTMH, was interviewed.
 

 
 


Coronavirus Outbreaks Linked to Fraternity Houses Are a Warning for College Campuses
Board member and Journal Section Editor David Hamer

 
 

Coronavirus FAQs: Is It Safe To Dine Indoors — Or Outdoors?
Mark Kortepeter, Scientific Program Subcommittee Chair for Clinical Tropical Medicine, was interviewed.

 
 


Play ball? Experts send mixed signals on MLB 60-game season
Board member and Journal Section Editor David Hamer interviewed.

 
 


Ebola finally defeated, Congo faces COVID-19 
Members Jean-Jacques Muyembe, PhD, and Ann Rimoin, PhD, MPH, FASTMH, are interviewed.

 

 
 

This Scientist Is Searching For A Vaccine To World’s Second-Most Devastating Parasite
Student Member Amanda Elyssa Ruiz was interviewed and referred to being inspired by one of last year's Annual Meeting keynote speakers, Abhay Bang.

 
 

Coronavirus FAQs: Is It Safe To Dine Indoors — Or Outdoors?
Mark Kortepeter, Scientific Program Subcommittee Chair for Clinical Tropical Medicine, was interviewed for this Q&A.

 
 


Participants needed for study aiming to prevent COVID-19 spread within households
Board Member Miriam Laufer interviewed.

 


Infectious disease specialist helps QU make decisions regarding pandemic
Secretary-Treasurer David R. Hill interviewed.

 

Writing on the wall
Board Member David Hamer interviewed.

 


'It's absolutely horrifying': Coronavirus expert warns of dire health crisis amid Texas surge
Past President Peter Hotez interviewed.

 


Coronavirus Frontlines
Mark Kortepeter, Scientific Program Subcommittee Chair for Clinical Tropical Medicine, has contributed to a series of articles in Forbes.

 



Wear a Mask — That’s How We Stop Covid-19 Together
May Chu, Co-Chair of the Innovations Pitch Competition hosted at the Annual Meeting, authored this commentary.

 

A Growing Body Of Research Highlights The Importance Of Wearing Face Masks
May Chu was interviewed.

 

 

Hydroxychloroquine, a drug promoted by Trump, failed to prevent healthy people from getting covid-19 in trial
Lifetime Member David Boulware is senior investigator for this trial.

 

Low- and middle-income countries face up to COVID-19
Past President Peter J. Hotez and member Louise Ivers interviewed.

 

Past President Peter J. Hotez interviewed.

 

Q&A with William A. Petri, Jr., a Past President, past Scientific Program Chair, last year's Ben Kean Medal recipient and longtime supporter of our Young Investigator Awards.

 

Q&A with Past President and past Scientific Program Chair William A. Petri, Jr.

 

Board member and Journal Section Editor David Hamer answered caller questions during the Morning Edition and All Things Considered programs on WBUR-FM (NPR, Boston).

 

Bailey K. Ashford Medal recipient Louise Ivers interviewed.

 

2019 Fellow Anne Rimoin featured.

 

Scientific Program Chair Dan Bausch interviewed.

 

Scientific Program Chair Dan Bausch interviewed.

 

 cautioning the use of antimalarials for COVID-19 is cited.

 

Past President Peter J. Hotez interviewed.

 

Board Member Albert Ko interviewed at 5:55 into this report.

 

Past President Peter J. Hotez interviewed.

 

President Joel G. Breman and other members of ASTMH were among 55 signatories from 20 countries joining a call for urgent efforts to demand safe, quality medicines for COVID-19.

 

ASTMH and other members joined a COVID-19 coalition to support resource-limited settings.

 

Scientific Program Chair Dan Bausch provided comments.

 

Global Health subgroup member Jessica Manning featured.

 

This article mentioned the  applauding swift passage of emergency funding for the coronavirus outbreak.

 

President Joel G. Breman quoted.

 

Scientific Program Chair Daniel G. Bausch interviewed.

 

Authored by President Joel G. Breman.

 

Past President Chandy C. John interviewed.

Public Policy and Advocacy

The Society has been active on the policy front advocating for support and needed funds to respond to and prepare for future outbreaks.

 

.

 

ASTMH released a statement on the need to protect the integrity of the peer-review process and joined with IDSA, the HIV Medicine Association (HIVMA) and the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society of America (PIDS) in a.

 

 

ASTMH released a statement opposing the Trump Administration's decision to withhold U.S. funding from WHO.

 

 

The Society sent a letter of concern to the FDA regarding its Emergency Use Authorization of antimalarials for COVID-19 treatment.

 

ASTMH released a statement applauding Congress and the White House for swift passage of an $8.3 billion Emergency Coronavirus Funding Package.

 

Past Presidents sent a letter to the White House supporting federal scientists in COVID-19.

Webinars

ASTMH has a wealth of experience in its leaders that is evident as they present and organize webinars about COVID-19.

 

Scientific Program Chair Daniel G. Bausch presented to the Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia.

 

Past President Patricia F. Walker organized and moderated the ASTMH/International Society of Travel Medicine (ISTM) joint webinar, which featured Eric Schwartz, Refugees International; Paul B. Spiegel, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health; and Martin Cetron, CDC.

In Other News

Even as COVID-19 dominates the news, ASTMH leaders continue to be sourced as experts on other issues in the tropmed community.

 

2015 Hoogstraal Medal Recipient Durland Fish authored this article.

 

Past ACME Chair Gonzalo Vazquez-Prokopec was interviewed about vector control in Mexico.

 

Profile of Sanaria with CEO and Chief Scientific Officer Stephen L. Hoffman, an ASTMH past President. Member Peter Billingsley is Vice President of International Projects and Strategy.

GoTropMed