Hayat Ashraf

Recently, World Health Organisation (WHO) has launched a new network for coronaviruses, CoViNet. About CoViNet: It is a network of global laboratories with expertise in human, animal and environmental coronavirus surveillance. It will identify and monitor potentially novel coronaviruses that could emerge shortly. The network will now have animal health and environmental surveillance and timely risk assessment to feed WHO policies and protective measures. In low- and middle-income countries, CoViNet will support the building of more laboratories to monitor MERS-CoV and novel coronaviruses of public health importance. Data generated through CoViNet's efforts will guide the work of WHO's Technical Advisory Groups on Viral Evolution (TAG-VE) and Vaccine Composition (TAG-CO-VAC). It currently comprises 36 laboratories from 21 countries in all six WHO regions. Three Indian laboratories namely; the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-National Environmental Engineering Resear...