Coronavirus | Keys to epidemic preparedness

As countries around the world grapple with the spread of 2019-nCoV (novel coronavirus) IHME’s Dr. David Pigott is mining the Global Burden of Disease to estimate the impact of other illnesses on clinical outcomes for those infected by the virus. He is also a contributor to healthmap.org’s near real time map of 2019-nCoV cases.

An expert on epidemic preparedness, Pigott explores key elements to enable countries to combat infectious diseases outbreaks effectively.

When thinking about global preparedness, it is important to consider the health systems in which these new pathogens are presenting. In 2017 Pigott was the lead author on a paper in The Lancet that assessed how emerging viruses in Africa could start at the community level before spreading to pandemic proportions.

Pigott’s study used a wide variety of techniques to identify populations at risk of infection due to viruses passing from animals to humans. It assessed pathways for potential epidemic development to identify regions where needs and medical services do not align.

The video is one of a series about the virus featuring Pigott. The full set can be viewed here.