Webcast – Viral testing and the immune response to COVID-19

Following up on their last conversation for the EASL COVID-19 webcast series, Professor Mario Mondelli and Professor Jean-Michel Pawlotsky explore how RNA and antibody tests can be combined with different testing strategies to arrive at potential exit strategies from the social restrictions in place in many countries. They also highlight likely barriers and challenges to these strategies, from resource limitations to the reliability of the tests themselves.

By contrasting the properties of SARS-CoV-2 with the original SARS-CoV virus, the experts describe our current knowledge of the immune response to COVID-19 and assess the likelihood of long-term protective immunity following infection. Finally, they look ahead to the prospects and possible routes for the development of a COVID-19 vaccine, the potential for pan-coronavirus vaccines or therapies, and the potential for the virus to mutate in the future.

Speakers:

• Professor Mario Mondelli, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy

• Professor Jean-Michel Pawlotsky, University of Paris-Est, Paris, France