ICSP

Pathogen detection is key at all stages of a pandemic. Initially it allows to identify quickly the individuals that are caring the disease and isolate them. During the pandemic it allows to monitor the progress and focus the medical care.

A new disease needs a new cure. There are many methods to develop new drugs and often needs adaptation to new target disease. In case of a quickly spreading of a disease for which there is no effective therapy the standard methods of drug development and clinical testing could be to slow to guarantee an effective response. Drug repurposing aims at looking through existing database of molecules approved for human therapy and test if they have any effect on the new target.

Identify the means of transmission of a pathogen is a key step in containing a pandemic. With the current Sars-Cov-2 outbreak we are still not sure about the method of transmission or the virus survival time on surfaces.

With the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus pandemic, we have witnessed the recognition of the importance of rigorous mathematical models as major players in understanding the dynamics and evolution of the pandemic. They have also proved to be of invaluable help as (evidence-based) guidance tools for the governments' decision-making process and the management of healthcare resources. The mathematical models develop and refined during the current crisis will be essential in a future pandemic to guide lockdown policies and hospital organization.