COVID-19 alarm escalates: Renowned disease specialist issues stark warning of gravity
Revamped Dispatch:
Prof. Paul Kellam, a virus genomics whiz from the Faculty of Medicine at Imperial College London, spills the beans in an exclusive two-part interview with Medical News Today. He leaves no doubt about the dire situation we're currently grappling with - the COVID-19 pandemic. Dive in as we explore the lessons learned from past pandemics, his primary concerns, and the future prospects.
Knock, knock! Speed's the key!
What's the most critical lesson experts who've battled viruses in the past have up their sleeves to help combat the current pandemic? Speed! A lightning-fast response is crucial. As virologists and epidemiologists know all too well, whatever you're doing, you better do it quicker.
This speed sprint played out in multiple ways during this pandemic. From identifying and containing case clusters in early outbreaks to swiftly sequencing and publicly disclosing the virus genome, and rapidly developing RT-PCR diagnostics for widespread testing - it's all about keeping pace.
While these extraordinary efforts have enabled us to manage the epidemic for now, Prof. Kellam emphasizes the importance of maintaining this breakneck speed as we plot our next moves. Data sharing, especially, demands our full attention.
Normally, scientific publishing moves at a snail's pace. In this pandemic, though, data has been freely shared through interviews, social media, and scientific preprint servers. Scientists, both novice and experienced, are consuming and producing this information in rapid succession. But be warned: not all studies are created equal. It's essential to sift through the data, distinguishing solid research from less reliable findings.
Clinical data and epidemiological information sharing are equally vital for policy formulation at the local, national, and international levels.
Reading between the lines: preprint servers
Should people seek out studies on preprint servers in the context of a pandemic, given their unfiltered and non-peer-reviewed status? According to Prof. Kellam, absolutely! Preprints are unfiltered but crucial sources of information during a pandemic. He encourages scientists to approach preprint studies critically, evaluating the quality of the science, the labs, and the researchers responsible for the data.
Is the majority of the information coming out as the pandemic unfolds high-quality? Professor Kellam suggests that his selective reading list, consisting of well-known and respected coronavirus, vaccine, antibody, and structural biology groups, ensures a higher likelihood of encountering sound studies. Larger studies, too, tend to carry more weight, as they provide strong evidence and withstand scrutiny better than small, single-case studies.
The overriding feeling among scientists like Prof. Kellam is one tinged with fear - a mixture of awe at the scale of the pandemic, concern for the immense suffering it has caused, and an undercurrent of hope that collective efforts can indeed curtail its spread.
Stay tuned for Part 2 of our riveting conversation, as Prof. Kellam talks about his team's experiences during this pandemic, his overarching sense of unease, and the logical aspects of the situation that offer a glimmer of hope.
- In the face of the dire COVID-19 pandemic, Prof. Paul Kellam underscores the need for swiftness in our response, emphasizing the importance of sharing data, even when it's in unfiltered forms like preprint servers, to accelerate the speed of scientific discovery and preventative care.
- When tackling the coronavirus pandemic, keeping pace is key, from sequencing and disclosing the virus genome, to rapidly developing diagnostics for widespread testing, and data sharing to inform policy making.
- As we navigate the challenges posed by the pandemic, Prof. Kellam encourages maintaining a speedy approach to research, yet urges critical evaluation of preprint studies to ensure their quality, size, and the credibility of the researchers, to distinguish solid research from less reliable findings in the health-and-wellness landscape and in the quest for medical-conditions solutions related to the COVID-19 virus.
