ECCVID Update: Programme Committee selected

We are happy to announce that the Programme Committee has been selected and the call for sessions is underway. Keep your eyes out for our abstract call coming soon! Follow us and check our website to stay up to date with the latest news.

› Read more

ESCMID Study Group Research Grants 2020: apply now!

TAE Steering Committee nominations are now open

The call has been released for nominations for new TAE Steering Committee (TAE SC) members with a background in Infectious Diseases. The vacancies are for a three-year term (January 2021- December 2023) will be filled with new members, who will be elected in July/August 2020. The call for candidates is open from now until Thursday, 23 July 2020, 12:00 noon CEST. We ask all interested ESCMID Young Scientist Members below 35 years of age to submit their documents via the following link, which also describes the complete process and eligibility criteria.

› Read more

European Commission online public consultation on the Pharmaceutical Strategy for Europe

EMA communicates that the European Commission has launched an online public consultation on the Pharmaceutical Strategy for Europe.

Coming in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Strategy, which will also inform the newly proposed EU4Health Programme and align with Horizon Europe for research and innovation, will aim to ensure Europe's supply of safe and affordable medicines to meet patients' needs and support the European pharmaceutical industry to remain an innovator and world leader.

The consultation consists of questions, which will focus on key themes: strategic autonomy and manufacturing of medicines, access to affordable medicines, innovation, and environmental sustainability and health challenges. The aim of the consultation is to allow the public, experts and stakeholders to contribute and voice their opinion on the best ways to address pharmaceutical related issues in the EU.

The consultation will run until 15 September 2020, and questions can be accessed on EUSurvey.

For more details, please consult the press release and consultation.

› Read more

Via EITaF: WHO criteria for cessation of isolation of COVID-19 patients

A new EITaF article detailing recent WHO guidance on the discharge of COVID-19 patients from isolation has been published on the Outbreak News webpage.

EITaF is the official ESCMID source for news on new and emerging infections, including COVID-19.

A special thanks must go to Prof. Nicola Petrosillo, who is stepping down from the position of co-chair of EITaF, which he has held since the group’s creation in 2017.

› Read more

CMI highlight: COVID-19 pandemic—a focused review for clinicians

The COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 remains a significant issue for global health, economics and society. A wealth of data has been generated since its emergence in December 2019, and it is vital for clinicians to keep up with this data from across the world at a time of uncertainty and constantly evolving guidelines and clinical practice. This review provides an update for clinicians on the recent developments in the virology, diagnostics, clinical presentation, viral shedding, and treatment options for COVID-19 based on current literature. The papers considered focus mainly on clinical management aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The virological characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 and the clinical course of COVID-19 are presented with an emphasis on diagnostic challenges, duration of viral shedding, severity markers and current treatment options. The key challenge in managing COVID-19 remains patient density. However, accurate diagnosis as well as early identification and management of high-risk severe cases are important for many clinicians. For improved management of cases, there is a need to understand test probability of serology, qRT-PCR and radiological testing, and the efficacy of available treatment options that could be used in severe cases with a high risk of mortality.

› Read more