...and we are off with Day 1 of the 2024 Global Virus Network meeting hosted by CAPRISA in Durban! I'm proud to represent UMN Medical School IHV Nigeria & University of Cape Coast; we have Peter Kojo Quashie repping Ghana through WACCBIP as well. Chair Dr. Sten Vermund gave a few words. Let's go!

Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett-Helaire KizzyPhD from Harvard University presenting on "The Immune Landscape of Coronavirus Spike" in the session on Translational Virology and Complex Co-Infections.

Dr. Peter Quashie Peter Kojo Quashie from U of Ghana's WACCBIP presenting on "The Perfect Storm of COVID-19 in Ghana."

Question of #GVN2024Durban "Translational Virology and Complex Co-Infections" panel draws a reply from University of Ghana's Peter Kojo Quashie. Also pictured: Harvard's Kizzmekia Corbett-Helaire, Penn's Susan Weiss, and UKZN's Richard Lessells. Agenda gvn.org/gvn-2024-durba…

Dr. Richard Lessells, adult ID University of KZN presented "Mpox & Emerging Infections in Advanced HIV Disease" (AHD). Key takeaways: Infectious Diseases is a relatively small specialty & often neglected in pandemic leadership. Also, stop excluding people with AHD from pandemic research!

📢 Urgent Alert: Join us for our weekly press briefing where Africa CDC Director General, Dr. Jean Kaseya will share key insights and urgent actions in response to the #Mpox outbreak. 🗓️ Date: 19 Sept 2024 ⏰Time: 16:00 – 17:00 PM (Eastern Africa Time/GMT+3)

Day 2 of #GVN2024Durban begins with a short reminder of the good memories from yesterday's tour of CAPRISA and welcome dinner.

Pictured: a question from the floor at #GVN2024Durban's Day 2. As today's #scientific sessions continue, we hope attendees - virtual and in-person - post what interests them using the #GVN2024Durban hashtag (and as appropriate, we will re-post). Agenda: gvn.org/gvn-2024-durba…

A few talks I missed posting yesterday: in the session of Acute and Post Viral Diseases: Dr. Alfredo Garzino-Demo of the U of Padova & IHV presented a small but very interesting study on loss of smell on COVID-19 and it's link to zinc levels. More studies to come...

Today in Global Virus Network meeting: Prof. Alash'le Abimiku of IHV Nigeria & IHV moderates the session on Genetics Sequences & Epidemiological Insights, including a talk by Prof. Christian Happi on his team's extensive work on Genomic Surveillance in Nigeria & W Africa

Dr Anne Wyllie of U Maryland presented research on the value and advances in salivary diagnostics. This was at the Global Virus Network meetings in Durban, SA.

Incredibly honored to be invited to the Global Virus Network Annual Meeting to present our SalivaDirect, Inc. work on the potential of saliva to enhance laboratory capacity and provide a sustainable approach for diagnostics, surveillance and outbreak response efforts.