The emergence of SARS-Cov-2 virus in Wuhan, China, in December of 2019 led to a local epidemic that rapidly spread to multiple countries in the world, placing remarkable challenges in surveillance and control. In March 16th, 2020, WHO declared that the infection associated with SARS-Cov-2, named COVID-19, had spread to more than 100 countries, with more than 160,000 confirmed cases and more than 6,000 deaths globally. … Read More →
On the possibility of interrupting the coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic based on the best available scientific evidence [Originally published in Rev. bras. epidemiol., vol. 23]
Evidence is piling up and there is still a chance to stop this epidemic. We cannot think that this virus will install itself among us and be just another agent responsible for the flu, because it has very high rates of transmission and its case-fatality is not low. China has managed to greatly reduce transmission mostly with three effective measures. … Read More →
The novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) emergency and the role of timely and effective national health surveillance [Originally published in Cad. Saúde Pública, vol.36 no.3]
In recent years, the emergence and reemergence of infectious diseases like bird flu (influenza A H5N1) in 2003, SARS in 2002/2003, influenza A (H1N1) in 2009, and Zika in 2015 raised numerous questions on the role of epidemiological surveillance. Pandemics have occurred more frequently, and since 2018, the World Health Organization (WHO) has acknowledged the need for preparation in anticipation of the emergence of novel pathogens, including (under the name “disease X”) unknown diseases with potential for international emergence on the priority list for research and development in the emergency setting. … Read More →
The Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak highlights serious deficiencies in scholarly communication [Originally published in the LSE Impact blog in March/2020]
As research and government responses to the COVID-19 outbreak escalate in the face of a global public health crisis, Vincent Larivière, Fei Shu and Cassidy R. Sugimoto reflect on efforts to make research on this subject more widely available. Arguing that a narrow focus on research published in high ranking journals predominantly in English has impeded research efforts, they suggest that the renewed emphasis on carrying out open research on the virus presents an opportunity to reassess how research and scholarly communication systems serve the public good. … Read More →
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