Abstract
The first cluster of patients suffering from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was identified on December 21, 2019, and as of July 29, 2020, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections have been linked with 664,333 deaths and number at least 16,932,996 worldwide. Unprecedented in global societal impact, the COVID-19 pandemic has tested local, national, and international preparedness for viral outbreaks to the limits. Just as it will be vital to identify missed opportunities and improve contingency planning for future outbreaks, we must also highlight key successes and build on them. Concomitant to the emergence of a novel viral disease, there is a ‘research and development gap’ that poses a threat to the overall pace and quality of outbreak response during its most crucial early phase. Here, we outline key components of an adequate research response to novel viral outbreaks using the example of SARS-CoV-2. We highlight the exceptional recent progress made in fundamental science, resulting in the fastest scientific response to a major infectious disease outbreak or pandemic. We underline the vital role of the international research community, from the implementation of diagnostics and contact tracing procedures to the collective search for vaccines and antiviral therapies, sustained by unique information sharing efforts.
Highlights
Since 1950, the global population has tripled to 7.8 billion, with expansion in meat consumption and living area thought to increase human exposure to microbes infecting wildlife, with occasional ‘spillover’ to people [1]
Zoonoses capable of human-to-human transmission can emerge as catastrophic diseases; acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) alone has killed an estimated 32 million [3], whilst coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused the largest global economic crisis since the Great Depression [4]
Testing in the clinic ensures that COVID-19 patients are separated from SARS-CoV-2 negative individuals and confirms viral shedding has ceased before discharge
Summary
Since 1950, the global population has tripled to 7.8 billion, with expansion in meat consumption and living area thought to increase human exposure to microbes infecting wildlife, with occasional ‘spillover’ to people [1]. The first severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) genomes were published online on January 10, 2020 (Fig 2), 20 days after cluster detection (GISAID accessions EPI_ISL_402119 and EPI_ISL_402121), and phylogenetic analyses showed the virus was a relative of both severe acute respiratory syndrome
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