The Importance of Biobanking for Response to Pandemics Caused by Emerging Viruses: The European Virus Archive As an Observatory of the Global Response to the Zika Virus and COVID-19 Crisis.
Biopreserv Biobank
; 18(6): 561-569, 2020 Dec.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-919312
ABSTRACT
When a new virus emerges and causes a significant epidemic, the emergency response relies on diagnostics, surveillance, testing, and proposal of treatments if they exist, and also in the longer term, redirection of research efforts toward understanding the newly discovered pathogen. To serve these goals, viral biobanks play a crucial role. The European Virus Archive (EVA) is a network of biobanks from research laboratories worldwide that has combined into a common set of practices and mutually beneficial objectives to give scientists the tools that they need to study viruses in general, and also to respond to a pandemic caused by emerging viruses. Taking the most recent outbreaks of the Zika virus and SARS-CoV-2 as examples, by looking at who orders what and when to the EVA, we illustrate how the global science community at large, public health, fundamental research and private companies, reorganize their activity toward diagnosing, understanding, and fighting the new pathogen.
Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Biological Specimen Banks
/
Pandemics
/
Zika Virus
/
Zika Virus Infection
/
SARS-CoV-2
/
COVID-19
Type of study:
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
Limits:
Humans
Country/Region as subject:
Europa
Language:
English
Journal:
Biopreserv Biobank
Year:
2020
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Bio.2020.0119
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