Positions
Battling Pandemic Viruses Like Avian Influenza
Authors: Maggie L. Bartlett, PhD, and Sten Vermund, MD, PhD The increasing number of avian influenza spillovers to non-bird species demands innovation to prevent a future influenza pandemic. As deadly as the coronavirus pandemic has been, the catastrophic potential of influenza viruses is much worse. The 1918-1919 influenza pandemic infected a third of the world’s…
Read More‘Triple-demic’ of respiratory illnesses launches vaccination season. Have you gotten yours?
The letter below, written by GVN’s president, Dr. Sten Vermund, was originally published in The Baltimore Sun. We are amid the “triple-demic” of respiratory illnesses season that includes a significant increase in U.S. COVID-19 hospitalizations alongside annual seasonal surges in respiratory viruses like influenza (“the flu”) and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). For the flu and…
Read MoreUniversal Access to New Vaccines in 2023: A Necessity for Public Health
A Joint Statement by the World Health Network and Global Virus Network Respiratory virus season in 2023-2024 is a significant challenge in the fight against COVID-19. We know that even mild cases of COVID-19 may affect people’s daily lives for several days or weeks, and we all have seen—even among previously healthy individuals—that the repercussions…
Read MoreResponding to Long COVID Responsibly
To effectively address the unique challenges presented by Long COVID, the Global Virus Network recommends a unified and integrated approach involving the public, policymakers, and those involved in the research enterprise and in healthcare systems to create and implement policy changes, support continuing research, foster awareness, and advocate for—and initiate—multi-specialty care. * …
Read MoreImproving Ventilation and Filtration for Public Health
The Global Virus Network recommends public health agencies update and standardize their guidance regarding indoor air quality so that people can more easily follow that guidance. * * * Recently, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its guidance regarding ventilation in buildings, calling for five air changes per hour (1). That…
Read MoreMpox (Monkeypox): We Must Not Let Our Guard Down
The Global Virus Network (GVN) recommends people and public health agencies continue taking precautions against the spread of Mpox, which is still spreading and evolving. * * * This month, the World Health Organization declared an end to the Mpox emergency and urged a transition to a “robust, proactive and sustainable” response to Mpox. Although…
Read MoreOn the Pandemic Potential for Influenza Currently Circulating Among Birds and Mammals
The Global Virus Network (GVN) recommends that people in close contact with birds and mammals (wild or farmed) use personal protective equipment and get vaccinated against seasonal influenza. * * * It is nearly impossible to predict if the currently spreading avian influenza will become even better adapted to mammals and spill over to people.…
Read MoreU.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations Full Committee Hearing “U.S. Government Response: Fighting Ebola and Protecting America” Wednesday, November 12, 2014 Testimony submitted by: Global Virus Network (GVN)
Robert C. Gallo, MD, GVN Co-Founder and Scientific Director, and Director of GVN Center of Excellence at the Institute of Human Virology (IHV), University of Maryland School of Medicine; Stanley Plotkin, MD, GVN Senior Advisor, University of Pennsylvania; Diane Griffin, MD PhD, GVN Center of Excellence Director at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public…
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