COVID-19 Online Panel Discussion held at the Doherty Institute

The Doherty Institute hosted a COVID-19 online panel discussion on Thursday, 19 March, which was moderated by Professor Shitij Kapur, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences at the University of Melbourne, with panellists including the Doherty Institute Director Professor Sharon Lewin, the Doherty Institute researchers Professor Kanta Subbarao, Professor Dale Godfrey and Dr Mike Catton, and clinical neuropsychologist Professor Sarah Wilson.

In this discussion, experts from the University of Melbourne, The Royal Melbourne Hospital and the Doherty Institute explore a range of topics, including:

• Vaccine and treatment development
• Our immune system’s response – whether we can improve our immunity and who is most at risk
• Why everyone is not being tested
• The potential impact on the healthcare system
• How seasons affect the survival of the virus
• Emotional resilience and the potential impacts of social isolation
• What gives our scientists and researchers hope

The purpose of this discussion was to answer some of the general public's questions regarding the 2019 novel coronavirus, be they about personal, workplace or community impacts, and to help decipher the often complex messaging currently in circulation.