Coronavirus 19
How you can help science fight coronavirus
Euro-CASE Academies
Euro-CASE
Euro-CASE position paper on the economic recovery
In early 2020, just before the onset of the global COVID-19 pandemic, a broad consensus had emerged within the political and economic world as well as among the European populace on the need to react to the present climate crisis.
Acatech
(Germany)
The Coronavirus situation has a huge impact on our society. Christoph Schmidt, member of the acatech executive Board, published two related articles (translated in several languages)
7. Juli 2020 – Podcast / “Es ist wichtig, schon in der Krise an das Morgen zu denken”
24. Juni 2020 – Interview / “In einer Krise muss man nach innovativen Lösungen suchen”
19. Juni 2020 – Interview / „Es gibt viele Möglichkeiten der Digitalisierung, die noch stärker auszuschöpfen sind“
28. Mai 2020 – Infografik / Digitale Bildung: Lernen und Lehren im virtuellen Klassenzimmer
15. Mai 2020 – Standpunkt / Gute Kommunikation in der Krise
13. Mai 2020 – Interview / „Es ist wichtig, gemeinsam mit den Beschäftigten Lösungen zu entwickeln“
12. Mai 2020 – Standpunkt / Resilient durch Digitalisierung
30. April 2020 – Interview / „Die Wahrnehmung von MINT-Bildung wird sich verändern – zum Positiven“
30. April 2020 – Audio-Interviews / Corona:Krise:Kommunikation
18. April 2020 – Podcast / Widerstandsfähiger durch Technologie
17. April 2020 – Übersicht / Künstliche Intelligenz versus Corona
16. April 2020 – Whitepaper / Sichere KI in der Medizin
8. April 2020 – Audio-Interviews / Digitaler Journalismus in Zeiten der Corona-Krise
7. April 2020 – Interview / „Wir müssen in einen Zustand wachsamer Normalität kommen“
acatech IMPULSE
The Coronavirus Crisis: Keeping the economy running, meeting basic necessities, maintaining innovation
Intervention – Stabilisation – Stimulation
This acatech Impulse presents the Academy’s initial reflections on the coronavirus crisis.
We will explore the issues in greater depth over the coming months.
The coronavirus crisis is putting our healthcare system under unprecedented pressure. Hospital capacity in particular will be pushed to its limits if the number of infections is allowed to grow unchecked. Our hospitals will not be able to cope with an explosion in the number of severely ill patients requiring intensive medical care. Moreover, we do not yet have a testing infrastructure that can reliably identify the majority of people infected with the virus from an early stage.
As a result, the government’s current strategy is primarily centred on social distancing in order to slow down the number of new infections and check the spread of the virus.
In order to protect the public, these measures must have the utmost priority. However, they also have economic implications. Economic activity has been brought to a standstill on an unprecedented scale. And this has happened simultaneously, not just in Germany, but in virtually every economy around the world. A global economic crisis is inevitable, although it is still too early to make meaningful predictions about its duration and scale. At the moment, however, precise economic forecasts are not a priority – what we need to do is recognise the overriding importance of preventing the economy from coming to an abrupt and long-lasting standstill. This is particularly essential so that the healthcare system can perform as effectively as possible – after all, it too is part of the economy and thus vulnerable to economic impacts. It is also necessary to ensure that people’s basic necessities are met in all the other areas of their lives.
The government has recognised this in principle and is supporting its strategy for containing the epidemic with a range of supplementary economic policy measures. These include regulations on short-time work, liquidity assistance and tax deferrals designed to compensate for loss of income in households and prevent companies with sound business models from going bankrupt purely due to liquidity issues. These support measures are absolutely critical and must be delivered rapidly and in a targeted manner. The Federal Government must also provide strong organisational support for the economy during the crisis and establish its own expert task force to monitor developments. This publication provides suggestions for how to address the challenge of implementing the necessary measures in practice.
It is divided into three parts:
- 1. We begin by focusing on the immediate crisis interventions needed to support the healthcare system, get through the short-term economic shock and mobilise entrepreneurial potential.
- 2. We address the implications of a potentially longer-term economic shutdown by examining some of the industries that provide the basic necessities required to maintain social stability.
- 3. We argue that we should already start preparing economic stimuli for the “post-coronavirus era” in order to get the economy out of crisis mode and back on a (sustainable) growth path as soon as possible. At this time, it is more important than ever to forge ahead with strategic innovation policy projects.
New technologies and innovations play an important role in all three areas.
EA CR
(Czech Republic)
CIIRC CTU Develops Own Prototype of CIIRC RP95 Respirator / Half Mask
Lets Beat the COVID-19 via Distributed Production
CIIRC CTU is entering the fight against COVID-19. At the RICAIP Centre of Excellence supported by EU resources, CIIRC CTU is developing a brand new prototype of safety half-mask under the name “CIIRC RP95”.
Our goal is to make a prototype that can be produced anywhere in the world on the principles of distributed production. Distributed production allows to compensate the local lack of production capacities or resources.
CIIRC CTU researchers developed and certified the prototype of the advanced respirator “CIIRC RP95-3D” in just one week.
Open source medical ventilator
As epidemic progresses potential need for emergency ventilators became obvious. After fielding and eventually dismissing “easy fix” ideas, such as the Ambu bag automation or multiple patients per ventilator, we fortunately got in contact with the Faculty of Biomedical Engineering at the Czech Technical University, specifically with a group of people who have spent years working on various ventilator designs.
We quickly focused our efforts on creating a support network for their work – to allow the opportunity for their designs to materialize, all the while enlisting the help of leading engineering companies and component manufacturers to assist.
Worldwide community hacks to fight Covid-19 pandemics.
Help locally by contributing as others did around the world.
Irish Academy of Engineering
(Ireland)
Engineering Response to COVID-19
Call for ideas and expertise to help tackle novel coronavirus
The Royal Academy of Engineering recognises the critical role that engineers can play in managing the impact of the pandemic, and is asking its Fellows, awardees and partners to use their combined engineering expertise and UK and global networks to help identify solutions, organisations and contacts that could help governments address challenges and assist the public health response.
‘Lessons from the Covid-19 Experience – Building a Green Future Together’
‘Lessons from the Covid-19 Experience – Building a Green Future Together’
In the document, the Academy outlines the social, political and economic context of the Covid-19 crisis and considers the response of the Irish public to the threat. The Academy believes this response has demonstrated an impressive capacity for significant behavioural change on the part of the public and a willingness to accept evidence-based direction and leadership in responding to a major threat to their wellbeing. This approach has brought considerable success and the Academy believes the same spirit of social solidarity can and should be harnessed by the incoming government to address the much greater challenge of climate change.
Although a more slowly evolving problem for humanity than Covid-19 climate change, unless checked, poses an existential threat to the human race on an altogether grander scale than coronavirus. Action now and in the coming years is essential. The Academy notes the ambitious financial stimulus proposals advanced by the EU and also discusses the many beneficial technological developments that can contribute to solutions.
IVA
(Sweden)
Innovation challenge to slow spread of Covid-19
The New York Academy of Science (NYAS) and The Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences (IVA) international science competition – Junior Academy – is now inviting social actors and teenagers in the age range 13–17 to join an open global challenge to fight the spread of Covid-19.
- This innovation challenge, which in Sweden is called Ung innovation i kristid (Young Innovation in a Time of Crisis), is an initiative from IVA’s partner the New York Academy of Sciences, where students 13 to 17 years old from all around the world are given the opportunity to build virtual teams. The purpose is to develop technology-based innovative solutions to slow the spread or Covid-19.
Junior Academy Competition based on the initiative of the New York Academy of Sciences to reduce anxiety in youth
Challenge: Combating COVID-19
The rapid spread of COVID-19 has sparked alarm worldwide. Many countries are grappling with the rise in confirmed cases. It is urgent and crucial for us to discover ways to use technology to contain the outbreak and manage future public health emergencies.
How to cope with corona crisis
The world is in the midst of a global crisis, that we don’t yet know the proportions of. The spread of coronavirus is challenging all parts of our society. On this page IVA is presenting information on ongoing initiatives, actions you can take yourself, seminars, activities our own members are involved in and other information regarding the coronavirus crisis.
Around the world initiatives have been taken to find solutions to all of the challenges we are facing. Dialouge between science and society, knowledge exchange and international cooperation are of great importance, not only in the area of health care, but within most professions as well.
Internship program helps newcomer academics find work during the coronavirus pandemic
IVA’s Jobbsprånget internship programme, which is aimed at newcomers to Sweden who have a university degree, is getting more and more popular throughout the country. The application portal just closed for the autumn internships. It has seen a 30-percent increase in applications compared to spring 2020 and 55 percent of the applicants are women.
KVAB – ARB
(Belgium)
COVID-19 maatregelen bij de KVAB
De KVAB en de Jonge Academie hebben alle activiteiten in de premissen van de Academie afgelast, minstens tot en met 30 juni.
Volgende activiteiten van de KVAB werden eveneens geannuleerd of uitgesteld:
- Concert met Daniel Blumenthal van 24/4/2020 werd uitgesteld naar 18/9/2020.
- De Debatavond van de Reflectiegroep Energie « Haalt België de doelstellingen van het Europees klimaatplan? » wordt uitgesteld naar een nog nader te bepalen datum.
- Lentecyclus « De nazaten van Confucius » werd verdaagd naar 2021.
- De geplande activiteiten van de Denkerscyclus « Image Science » worden uitgesteld.
- 8/5: Hortawandeling o.l.v. Barbara Van der Wee wordt uitgesteld.
- 3/6: « Klinkende Kennis », het symposium over de interactie tussen muziek & wetenschap georganiseerd door de Reflectiegroep Kunst, Wetenschap en Technologie werd verplaatst naar 3/2/2021.
- 10/6: Da Vincilezing Jan Van Hove is geannuleerd en zal worden door een digitale lezing die beschikbaar zal zijn in september.
- 19/6: Bezoek aan het Memoriaal van Waterloo wordt uitgesteld.
Du partage de la connaissance et de la promotion d’une « Science ouverte »
Rapports de l’Académie royale de Belgique
Réflexions sur la diffusion des connaissances à travers les grands colloques internationaux, les revues scientifiques, et la communication libre et rapide entre chercheurs et innovateurs dans un contexte de réduction de l’empreinte climatique.
When a virus holds humanity hostage
Position Paper | Year 2020
The Corona crisis is an unseen ordeal for humanity. Spreading worldwide from the Chinese city of Wuhan from January 2020 onwards, covid-19 is gradually plaguing the world. Infections and death toll have climbed steeply, also in Belgium. Governments, assisted by virologists, take drastic measures. The current wave of contaminations also heralds an economic disaster, massive temporary unemployment and important solvency problems for companies and sectors.
COVID-19 maatregelen bij de KVAB
23-11-2020
Naar aanleiding van de verstrengde maatregelen i.v.m. COVID-19, hebben de KVAB en de Jonge Academie alle publieksactiviteiten in het Paleis der Academiën afgelast, minstens tot en met eind 2020.
ARB : “The Academies plead for an accelerated transition to a sustainable future”
14-01-2021
Common statement ARB-KVAB
Before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a broad consensus on the need to quickly and vigorously combat climate change, seriously threatening our society and the ecosystems on which we depend. At that time, however, it was difficult to imagine what the unfolding of a global crisis could bring about…
NATF
(France)
Coronavirus Pandemic and Food Autonomy: The need for a re-territorialisation of food systems.
NTVA
(Norway)
In the future, NTVA will host a webinar series on how technology and science help prevent the spread of infection, strengthen treatment and reduce the extent of the Covid 19 pandemic.
Immunrespons etter Covid-19-infeksjon
Her kan du se video etter webinar med professor Rebecca Cox, UiB om immunrespons etter Covid-19-infeksjon. Cox leder en studie som utføres blant helsepersonell i Helse Vest for å forstå hvordan COVID-19-infeksjon påvirker den generelle befolkningen og helsearbeidere. På bakgrunn av blodprøver og kliniske opplysninger, arbeider forskerne med å forstå immunologisk respons hos smittede pasienter og karakterisere mønstre for virusoverføring og risikofaktorer for infeksjon hos helsepersonell ved Bergen Legevakt, Haukeland universitetssykehus og Haraldsplass diakonale sykehus, og Stavanger Universitetssykehus. Studien omfatter hittil over 750 personer.
ÖAW
(Austria)
Coronavirus: Vienna life sciences institutes provide test capacity
Together with university and non-university research institutions, the life sciences institutes of the OeAW provide equipment, manpower and know-how for additional virus tests.
- Experts worldwide agree: to keep the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus at bay, we must test for infections as extensively as possible. In the words of Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO): « We have a simple message for all countries: test, test, test. Test every suspected case. »
As a recent study published in the journal « Science » (DOI: 10.1126/science.abb3221) shows, over 80 percent of all infections with SARS-CoV-2 remain undetected. And yet these undetected cases are the source of infection for around 79 percent of all documented illnesses, the study continues. This is not only an explanation for the rapid worldwide spread of the virus, but also shows how important extensive testing is, as this will identify symptom-free carriers of the virus.
To increase the nationwide test capacity, a total of 20 Viennese research institutes from the university and non-university sector, including the Austrian Academy of Sciences (OeAW), have banded together to form the « Vienna COVID-19 Diagnostics Initiative » (VCDI). They provide machines, scientifically qualified personnel and know-how for additional virus tests in the laboratory.
Know-how and research results are freely available
First SARS-CoV-2 genomes in Austria openly available
- The first 21 SARS-CoV-2 genomes in Austria have now been completed and published within the scope of the “Mutational Dynamics of SARS-CoV-2” project recently launched by the Austrian Academy of Sciences in collaboration with the Medical University of Vienna. The project aims at sequencing 1,000 viral genomes obtained from Austrian patient-derived samples, in order to learn more about the molecular understanding of the COVID-19 pandemic and the causative pathogen. The project results will integrate Austrian viral genome data into a global map of SARS-CoV-2 mutations, which will help decipher the mutational dynamics underlying the COVID-19 pandemic..
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COVID-19: FAKTEN & FORSCHUNG
Auf www.oeaw.ac.at/corona stellt die Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften (ÖAW) Web-Tipps für wissenschaftlich verlässliche Fakten, Ansprechpartner/innen sowie Informationen zu laufenden Forschungen zu Coronavirus und COVID-19 bereit.
Although we currently do not have an effective vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 nor safe antivirals, our advances in biomedical research are almost a guarantee that we will develop such medications. We have seen tremendous success in fighting HIV, hepC virus, measles virus and poliovirus, just to mention a few. We shall succeed!
Peter Palese, Mikrobiologe an der Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai und Mitglied der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften.
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PAN
(Poland)
The Polish Academy of Sciences (PAS) is actively engaged in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic. Our researchers perform advisory role for the Ministry of Science and Higher Education. They are involved in international endeavours aimed at inventing effective medical treatment. Our researchers perform a significant number of tests for the presence for coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, thus helping the State Sanitary Inspectorate. Additionally, they have created a prototype of a test for the presence for SARS-CoV-2. Also, one of PAS institutes has invented a device that allows to ventilate two patients using a single respirator. Furthermore, a number of PAS laboratories deliver personal protection equipment to hospitals.
UNDERSTANDING COVID-19. Report of the COVID-19 Advisory Team at the President of the Polish Academy of Sciences
A report delivered by a team of scientists, working under the supervision of Prof. Jerzy Duszyński, president of the Academy, presents the current state of knowledge about SARS-CoV-2 virus, COVID-19 disease and its medical, psychological, economic and social impacts. In an accessible manner, this document provides forecasts of the COVID-19 epidemic for the upcoming winter season and recommendations for citizens and institutions.
The publication includes information about the course of the disease and treatment, phases of pandemic development and its implications for human health. The study provides verified information on prevention and presents current works on coronavirus vaccines. Among other topics covered are preparations for a winter COVID-19 peak, including the opening of educational institutions, and the risk of co-infection.
Attitudes towards the epidemic
Thousands of scientific articles have been published on a novel coronavirus. By September 7, COVID-19 literature has reached more than 55,000 papers. To this must be added tens of thousands of press releases or millions of mentions across social media. Too much of information, often contradictory, not only can be confusing, but can also promote the change in attitude and behavior, which in turn can endanger public health. Therefore, it is extremely important to share the report that organizes this knowledge.
« Irrational attitudes (…) are a great obstacle in the fight against the COVID-19 epidemic. In order to combat the epidemic, all our actions must be rational. By publishing this report, we want to put the public discourse back on the right track » – emphasize the scientists led by Prof. Jerzy Duszyński.
Scenarios for fall and winter
The COVID-19 Advisory Team presents scenarios for the COVID-19 epidemic in the fall and winter season. Scientists warn that if we won’t succeed in convincing Poles of the need to follow strictly recommendations (in particular, wearing masks and physical distancing), another lockdown might be necessary to stop the pandemic. “The costs of this solution will be enormous, both for citizens and the state. Therefore, everything possible should be done so that we can limit ourselves to adhering to the sanitary and hygienic recommendations announced by the relevant state services,” the report reads.
The authors of the report « Understanding COVID-19 » are members of the interdisciplinary COVID-19 Advisory Team at the President of the Polish Academy of Sciences. The team consists of eight experts: Aneta Afelt – PhD, geographer, Anna Ochab-Marcinek – PhD, DSc, theoretical physicist, Prof. Radosław Owczuk – specialist in anaesthesiology and intensive care, Prof. Krzysztof Pyrć – specialist in microbiology and virology, Magdalena Rosińska – MD, PhD, DSc, physician and biostatistician, Prof. Andrzej Rychard – sociologist, Tomasz Smiatacz – MD, PhD, DSc, physician. Prof. Jerzy Duszyński chairs the team. The team was supported by two invited experts, including Prof. Anna Giza-Poleszczuk and Prof. Małgorzata Kossowska, each of whom contributed to a different section – « Society in a pandemic » and « Psychological impacts of COVID-19 », respectively.
RAEng
(United Kingdom)
Engineering response to COVID-19: can you help?
The COVID-19 pandemic poses an unprecedented global challenge, impacting profoundly on health and wellbeing, daily life and the economy around the world.
In order to kick start engagement across the Academies, the Royal Academy of Engineering (UK) plans to host several video conferences over the next few weeks open to Euro-CASE and CAETS academies to share knowledge about challenges and initiatives, build networks of interested parties, and explore what more the international engineering community and Euro-CASE/CAETS could be doing to address the impact of the virus. The knowledge gathered and networks created also will help inform a small grants call for international engineering collaboration on pandemics that RAEng will launch in the coming weeks.
Our role in the response to coronavirus
The Royal Academy of Engineering is keen to help identify potential solutions and facilitate useful contacts across its national and international engineering networks that could help our governments solve problems and assist the public health response.
There is an immediate need for ventilator manufacture, but we want to encourage innovation and ideas across all areas, including healthcare systems, critical infrastructure, business management and supply chain.
If you don’t feel able to respond to the specific requests below, there are still ways that you as an engineering professional can help with the effort to address the coronavirus:
- If you are in a position to contribute, please get in touch via our online form
- If you have an academic background (PhD candidate or higher): sign up as a rapid reviewer for the UK’s Royal Society registered reports
- If you use a computer: download Folding@home to harness your computer’s power in the fight against COVID-19
- If you have expertise relating to COVID-19 or its impacts, and would be prepared to provide expert insights to Parliament, please sign up here
Publication from the UK’s National Engineering Policy Centre (led by the Royal Academy of Engineering): Beyond COVID-19: laying the foundations for a net-zero recovery
- Paper
Beyond COVID-19: laying the foundations for a net-zero recovery
Five foundations for a net-zero recovery - Summary/Poster
Beyond COVID-19: laying the foundations for a net-zero recovery - News release
Government investment too low to achieve net zero recovery, say engineers
New report from the National Engineering Policy Centre calls for greater investment in net-zero capacity and digital transformation, and national workforce planning strategy to increase technical capability
RAI
(Spain)
The Covid19Impact Survey.
Enfoques y aportaciones de la Ingeniería ante la COVID19. Una contribución al debate y al planteamiento de posibles soluciones
Enrique Castillo 1;2
1 Real Academia de Ingeniería
2 Real Academia de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales
Resumen. Se describen, paso a paso, todas las etapas necesarias para construir el modelo, incluyendo selección de estados, transiciones entre estados, definición de tasas de paso entre estados, obtención de las ecuaciones diferenciales y funcionales, estimación de parámetros a partir de las observaciones y conversión del modelo en uno aleatori obayesiano. Se presenta un sencillo estudio de análisis de sensibilidad con respecto a las tasas, que permite analizar difeentes estrategias para controlar la pandemia. Para ello, se considera que todos los parámetros (tasas) son variables aleatorias. Finalmente se comentan las diferencias y ventajas de los modelos bayesianos.
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Nuria Oliver: la inteligencia artificial ante el COVID-19
La pandemia de la COVID-19 ha planteado desafíos sin precedentes para las sociedades y los gobiernos de todo el mundo. Además de la actuación sanitaria para combatir el virus, las medidas no médicas han demostrado ser también críticas para para retrasar y contener la propagación del virus. En esta línea, la inteligencia de datos resulta fundamental para poder analizar la efectividad de las medidas que ya han sido acordadas, así como para anticipar las que puedan adoptarse en el futuro.
Un equipo multidisciplinar liderado por la académica de la RAI, Nuria Oliver, ingeniera de telecomunicación y doctora en Ciencias de la Computación por el MIT, cuyo objetivo es realizar un seguimiento de las actuaciones así como aconsejar, a partir del análisis de los datos, las actuaciones necesarias, sobre todo en el contexto de la propagación del coronavirus, elaboró una encuesta, COVID-19 IMPACT, que han contestado cerca de 150.000 personas en tan solo dos días, lo que destaca el alto grado de implicación de la ciudadanía.
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SATW
(Switzerland)
Le monde entier affronte la pandémie de COVID-19. Dans cette crise, les technologies jouent un rôle déterminant pour faire face aux conséquences du virus, en Suisse comme à l’étranger. Le télétravail et le commerce en ligne explosent, accélérant la digitalisation de nombreux secteurs. Les écoles expérimentent à large échelle l’enseignement à distance. La recherche recourt au big data et à l’intelligence artificielle dans la course aux traitements et le rythme des publications s’accélère. Du sommet de l’Etat jusqu’aux citoyens, tout le monde se mobilise et les initiatives se multiplient. La SATW s’implique directement et plusieurs de ses membres sont au coeur de la lutte contre le virus.
VERSUS VIRUS HACKATHON
48 hours. You and potentially 8 million others. The Covid-19 crisis in Switzerland. In Europe. Worldwide. We stick together. We find solutions!
Join us with your skills to take on the challenge now – no matter what your background is. Together we are strong!
Diagnostik vor Ort gegen die Pandemie
Die so genannte Point-of-care-Diagnostik (POC-Diagnostik) will die Diagnostik näher an den Ort bringen, wo sie gefragt ist. Die Ausführenden sind die Patientinnen und Patienten selbst oder eine Fachperson in einer Hausarztpraxis, der Spitex oder in der Apotheke. Zudem können POC-Tests in digitale Plattformen, also mHealth-Plattformen, integriert werden. Covid-19 zeigt, wie sinnvoll dies ist.
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European level
SAPEA
How you can help science fight coronavirus
Europe’s academies are playing a vital role in global efforts to understand and tackle the challenge posed by the COVID-19 outbreak. Academies are home to world-leading expertise on infectious diseases — including not only the medical and epidemiological facts, but also on social and economic effects, and how people and populations respond.
Top resources and information
- World Health Organisation: advice for the public, including mythbusters.
- European Commission: summary of the EU’s ongoing response (in 24 languages).
- European Centre for Disease Control: live list of EU member states’ national advice on coronavirus.
Guidance from academies and networks
- Federation of European Academies of Medicine: many links and resources from Europe’s medical academies
- ALLEA: activities of member academies
- Euro-CASE: activities of member academies
- InterAcademy Partnership: statement
- Global Young Academy: statement and advice
Join the fight
Our partners and colleagues are seeking help from researchers and members of the public:
- If you can contribute to research: rapid funding is available in France, Lithuania, Spain and Ireland.
- If you can provide advice to parliamentarians: join a UK Parliament database of expertise.
- If you have an academic background (PhD candidate or higher): sign up as a rapid reviewer for the UK’s Royal Society registered reports.
- If you are a young scientist (aged 13-17): join the innovation challenge from the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences.
- If your lab could help with diagnostics and treatment: respond to the IMI’s call for proposals (coordinated by the EU and the pharmaceutical industry).
- If you use a computer: download Folding@home to harness your computer power in the fight against COVID-19.
- You can also contribute to the WHO’s COVID-19 response fund.
Ongoing research activities
- World Health Organisation: Live database of ongoing research.
- European Commission: Roundup of ongoing European research into fighting pandemics.
FEAM
Statement by the Board of FEAM: Protecting medical personnel from COVID-19
In a statement published today, the Board of the Federation of European Academies of Medicine (FEAM) joins its voice to call for the protection of the physical and mental health of medical workers in the frontline.
“If protection materials are available, good practice would be that hospitalized patients are treated as being potential COVID-19 infected on the ward and during investigations”, says FEAM President Professor George Griffin. The problem is that tests currently used to identify COVID-19 patients (RT-qPRC) search for the virus’ RNA genome. Because of this, the results of this test depend on whether the virus can be traced. A patient with COVID-19 can still get a negative result, for instance when the quantity of the virus is too low (which happens in some cases), or when the sample is not well-collected from the patient’ nose or throat.
“Medical personnel not well protected and feeling safe because of an initial negative (RT-qPCR) test in a patient can be at risk of contamination”. The same will happen with “other patients in the ward”, said Professor Stefan Constantinescu, who is also Vice-President of FEAM. This type of test is only useful at the time it is done and often needs to be repeated.
Also, because the test traces the virus, it cannot say if a person has had COVID-19 before. This is why antibody tests –which are based on the patients’ immune response—would be crucial to identify health care workers that are immune to COVID-19. However, such tests are still ongoing validation and approval.
The FEAM Board also emphasized the need to protect health workers’ mental health; many of them are working under extreme conditions and some are being forced to prioritize care for patients with the highest probability to survive. Potential harm to the mental health of medical workers will also have important repercussions for already strained healthcare systems in the near future.
European Commission
Coronavirus research
Research projects and initiatives to tackle the spread of coronavirus and preparedness for other outbreaks.
Good morning and welcome to the first of what will be a monthly update from me on my portfolio as European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth.
During this very challenging time dealing with the coronavirus outbreak, the European Commission is working hard on all fronts to help tackle the emergency and protect people’s health. Science, research and innovation are at the heart of these efforts. Last month we mobilised considerable funding as part of our coordinated response against the spread of COVID-19, including up to €80 million in financial support to vaccine developer CureVac.
We launched a new website that will be updated regularly with the latest information on coronavirus research and funding opportunities.
I gave my support to a call this week for all coronavirus publications and the data supporting them to be made immediately publicly-accessible, so that researchers can have access to the data and information they need. I also took part in a UNESCO-organised dialogue with Ministers on the topic of open science. Open access is already a tangible reality in the EU and we can lead by example thanks to our scientific expertise, technological development and innovation capacity, while cooperating closely with international partners.
Our own scientists at the Joint Research Centre have designed a control material that labs can use to check that their tests accurately detect the virus. This will help to ensure that testing carried out in labs across Europe do not return incorrect results.
JRC experts developed the Epidemic Intelligence from Open Sources platform together with the World Health Organization, and have been tracking the outbreak since it first emerged in China. They are also at the forefront of research that’s helping us better understand the spread of the virus, the effectiveness of control measures and the impact on our economies.
As control measures are implemented across the EU, I stand ready to help Member States ensure the continuity of education and training and support their cultural and creative sectors. We will be as flexible as possible when it comes to the implementation of the flagship programmes like Erasmus+, European Solidarity Corps and Creative Europe to minimise the impact of the Coronavirus crisis on the beneficiaries of those programmes. This is the main message we passed on to Erasmus+ National Agencies during a recent webinar: we are here to support them in their daily work for a smooth running of the programmes, and to provide clarifications and practical advice to participants in light of the COVID-19 outbreak (see latest factsheet).
I’ve also been taking part in video conferences with EU Education Ministers to work together on a coherent EU-wide response to the situation. We have had positive discussions on making sure our children don’t miss out on their education, by sharing knowledge on virtual classrooms and online learning. I am working hard with the Croatian Presidency to set up similar meetings with Culture and Sport Ministers. In the meantime, to help ensure continuity in education and training activities, we have launched a webpage gathering the wide range of online learning resources available online. I hope you will find it useful!
Finally, I want this monthly update to be a useful reference for readers during the current emergency and in the future. The newsletter is a team effort from colleagues working across departments to bring you the latest information. We would welcome your feedback on the aspects of my portfolio that you would like to see more of in this medium, so if you have suggestions please get in touch with my office.
With best wishes for the coming weeks,
Mariya Gabriel
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New support for coronavirus research
Ongoing actions to tackle the current outbreak of the novel coronavirus
Preparedness and response to outbreaks
Research infrastructures and resources
Innovative Medicines Initiative projects
Financing innovation
European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership
Citizen science responses to the coronavirus
Latest
Related links
Portfolio updates
- Advancing knowledge for the clinical and public health response to COVID-19
- A new control material for accurate coronavirus tests
- Global support for open access to research articles and data in the fight against coronavirus
- Funding for vaccine development
- Joint Research Centre: science supports coronavirus response
- Stay active during the crisis: Commission launches #BeActiveAtHome
- Online learning resources and eTwinning help teachers and students during the outbreak
- Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions support cutting-edge research on infectious diseases
- Enjoy quality opera from your home
Calls and collaborations
Coronavirus response
The European Commission is coordinating a common European response to the outbreak of COVID-19. We are taking resolute action to reinforce our public health sectors and mitigate the socio-economic impact in the European Union. We are mobilising all means at our disposal to help our Member States coordinate their national responses and are providing objective information about the spread of the virus and effective efforts to contain it.
President von der Leyen has established a Coronavirus response team at political level to coordinate our response to the pandemic
During these times of crisis, across the European Union, countries, regions and cities are stretching out a helping hand to neighbours and assistance is given to those most in need: donations of protective equipment such as masks, cross-border treatments of ill patients and bringing stranded citizens home. This is European solidarity at its best.
Page contents
Highlights
EU actions
Areas of the Commission’s response
Tweets from the European Commission
Latest
Calendar
Related links
Other academies and institutions
Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering
Chinese Academy of Engineering
- Handbook of COVID-19 Prevention and Treatment
- QR codes for COVID-19 Knowledge Center and Download, operated by Ministry of Health of China
- A special column in China Daily
- Reuse of Masks: Dan Wang, Jian-Feng Chen
State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites,
Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China - Protocols on Prevention, Diagnosis, Treatment
French Academy of Medecine
Communiqué des Académies nationales de Médecine et de Pharmacie sur les traitements à base d’hydroxychloroquine dans le cadre de la pandémie de COVID-19
Les Académies nationales de Médecine et de Pharmacie constatent, au vu des données actuelles de la science, que la démonstration de l’efficacité clinique de l’hydroxychloroquine n’est pas faite à ce jour. Des présomptions existent cependant, en particulier la négativation de la charge virale d’un certain nombre de patients, qui justifient sa prise en considération par la mise en œuvre urgente d’essais cliniques afin de tester ce produit sur des critères cliniques.
L’Académie nationale de Médecine considère que la libération par les pouvoirs publics de l’hydroxychloroquine pour les malades hospitalisés en détresse respiratoire ne saurait être une réponse adaptée pour des patients dont la charge virale est, à ce stade, le plus souvent inexistante et dont la maladie n’est plus une virose stricto sensu mais une défaillance pulmonaire (syndrome de détresse respiratoire aigu) liée à l’inflammation induite par le Sars-CoV-2.
Les Académies nationales de médecine et de pharmacie considèrent que l’essai européen Discovery dont la méthodologie répond aux critères internationaux de bonne pratique des essais cliniques, permettra de déterminer si l’hydroxychloroquine ou d’autres molécules antivirales ont une efficacité chez les patients Covid-19.
Mais, au-delà des débats en faveur ou en défaveur de l’hydroxychloroquine à utiliser dans tel ou tel stade de la maladie, les Académies nationales de médecine et de pharmacie s’inquiètent :
- des nombreux achats d’hydroxychloroquine par des personnes non atteintes, à des fins souvent plus préventives que curatives, alors que toute prescription hors AMM devrait relever de la seule responsabilité du prescripteur à l’hôpital ;
- de l’utilisation de ce produit à des posologies individuelles sans surveillance médicale stricte, en raison de possibles effets indésirables particulièrement délétères chez les sujets âgés ;
- de l’utilisation possible, sinon probable de ce médicament sans contrôle électrocardiographique initial ni suivi, notamment en raison de la possibilité de cardiomyopathies ou d’induction de troubles du rythme cardiaque ;
- du danger que représentent les interactions médicamenteuses ignorées des patients entre l’hydroxychloroquine et certains des médicaments qu’ils prennent habituellement, si l’hydroxychloroquine devait être utilisée sur de grands effectifs de sujets, en particulier chez des patients âgés et polymédiqués, même pour une durée brève ;
- de confusions possibles dans la population entre chloroquine et hydroxychloroquine ;
- de la vente d’hydroxychloroquine sur Internet, voire de la vente de médicament falsifié sous ce nom, alors que la délivrance de ce médicament doit impérativement respecter les circuits médicaux et pharmaceutiques officiels ;
- de la difficulté prévisible de se procurer l’hydroxychloroquine pour les patients présentant une maladie auto-immune ou un rhumatisme inflammatoire alors qu’elle est indispensable à la poursuite de leur traitement habituel.
INGSA
It is likely that every country on the planet will be required to deal with the acute risk of the COVID-19 virus. The decisions governments make will directly impact the wellbeing and the future of almost everyone alive today. The actions that take place at the interface between science and policy will be critical in the immediate response and also the long lead time of recovery.
That is why INGSA is calling on its members to contribute to a knowledge base from which we can draw the lessons that have to come from this situation. There will be a range of ways that you can contribute and we are also interested in hearing your proposals for other ways this information can be collected, sythesised and analysed.