(SYDNEY, Monday 16 March 2019) As a global infectious disease research centre, Kirby Institute at UNSW Sydney is closely monitoring and responding to the situation with COVID-19.
We are supporting the government’s actions on COVID-19 and continue to work with health officials on Australia’s response. We have offered and are providing our expertise to NSW Health.
We are in close contact with our colleagues at other medical research centres both nationally and internationally. We believe the scientific community must commit to sharing validated data, significant developments and important information to ensure the public health response is informed and robust.
It is important to explain and communicate evidence-based information to the public as the pandemic progresses. Our experts in biosecurity and epidemiology have been active in the media for this reason.
Kirby Institute experts in clinical research, biosecurity, surveillance and epidemiology are examining all available evidence on COVID-19 and working in partnership to help implement research studies to increase our understanding of the virus, including our research laboratory which has been upgraded in order for us to safely undertake this research. We will share progress on this research as it becomes available through the normal processes.
We encourage all those involved in the Australian response to COVID-19 to remember what has underpinned control of other infectious diseases including HIV/AIDS and hepatitis C; our response must be evidence-based and conducted with a partnership approach that spans government, research and community sectors.
You can find a list of resources and information here.
Media contact:
Luci Bamford, Kirby Institute, +61 (0) 432 894 029, lbamford@kirby.unsw.edu.au
Header image: CDC/ Alissa Eckert, MS; Dan Higgins, MAMS.