Virologists

"In six months, it's impossible to produce a vaccine against the (COVID-19) coronavirus. It takes a year to develop a vaccine. As for Thailand, we have no staff, no people who are experts in this field. But we expect that China will be able to develop a vaccine within one year. The best we can do is to treat patients based on their symptoms and diagnosis, and develop examination methods which are rapid and accurate."

"Take a look at the death toll now (as of 5 February 2020 due to the COVID-19 outbreak), there are almost no children. A nine-month-old baby is the youngest known patient, and the baby's still alive. The youngest patients who died are about 30 years old. Most of them have congenital diseases, such as brain disorders, heart diseases, lung diseases, diabetes or cancer. There are patients who are over 80 years old. At first, more than half of them were over 80 years old. Many cases are 89. If you ask me, some 89-year-old people happen to fall and die. So, don't panic about the number of fatalities. A majority of them have congenital diseases, pneumonia or influenza. Their depth of breathing is lower than normal, and there's a possibility that they want to eliminate excess phlegm. This can pose a life-threatening risk. Most fatalities are not young people. There's not much difference from the common influenza. If people who are 89 or 90 years old have influenza, that's not good."

"I don't think there's any need to panic (because of the COVID-19 pandemic). We manage these things the same as we manage influenza. The sensible thing (to do) at this point is to increase awareness of what is going on overseas. We can't treat the virus at the present time, so what we can do is use simple personal protection and public health interventions ... should it enter New Zealand."

"It was important to make the (COVID-19) disease notifiable. Although it did not appear to be as deadly as the previous SARS and MERS strains, there was still much to learn about it."

"It's still unclear whether that takes place (that COVID-19 can spread before people show sings of being infected). But if it does, that might explain why the disease is spreading so quickly."

"They have no evidence snakes can be infected by this new (COVID-19) coronavirus and serve as a host for it. There's no consistent evidence of coronaviruses in hosts other than mammals and Aves (birds)."

"Because these (SARS-CoV-2) viruses have not been circulating in humans before, specific immunity to these viruses is absent in humans."

"We should have done more (COVID-19) diagnostic tests in Lombardy where there was a big nucleus. There is no sense in trying to go to the supermarket once a week. You have to limit your time out, isolation is the key thing."

"We don't really know enough about this (COVID-19) disease to be sure what it means when the viral load decreases in the throat, for instance."

"It's the typical sloppy coronavirus immunity. ... The second infection is a mild infection."

"We have already gone a long way along this path through vaccination. We must now complete this process so that we can reach the endemic phase in the course of 2022 and declare the pandemic state to be over."

"The (Iranian) government failed to quarantine and disinfect all cities (from SARS-CoV-2) before it was too late. We must comply with the health rules to protect from the (COVID-19) disease."

"Coronaviruses include a group of RNA viruses of medical and veterinary importance, all of which are characterized by spherical, enveloped virus particles with prominent surface projections, resembling the corona of the sun. They infect various animal species, causing respiratory, gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, and neurological diseases. In humans, coronaviruses have been associated with common colds, diarrhea, and possibly multiple sclero­sis. The prototypical coronaviruses include avian infectious bronchitis virus (!BV), mouse hepatitis virus (MHV), porcine transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV), bovine coronavirus (BCV), human coronavirus (HCV), feline infectious peritonitis virus (FIPV), rat sialodacryoadenitis virus (SDAV), turkey coronavirus (TCV), rabbit coronavirus (RCV), and several viruses of other animal species."

"Hepatitis delta virus (HDV) contains a circular, viroid-like RNA genome, the only animal viral RNA of its kind. It possesses a ribozyme activity, which can autocatalytically cleave and ligate itself. The ribozyme has a unique structural requirement different from other known ribozymes."

"One scientific discovery is a gift from the accumulated work of hundreds of researchers. Collaboration is crucial because viruses are smarter than researchers."

"Diseases that come from wildlife account for more than 65% of all emerging infectious diseases."

"I've been in this (infectious diseases) business for 30 years. I've been through MERS, SARS, Ebola, the first Gulf war and the second, and I don't recall anything like this (Israeli being into unnecessary panic due to COVID-19). There's unnecessary, exaggerated panic. We have to calm people down. People are thinking that there's a kind of virus, it's in the air, it's going to attack every one of us, and whoever is attacked is going to die. That's not the way it is at all. It's not in the air. Not everyone (who is infected) dies. Most of them will get better and won't even know they were sick, or will have a bit of mucus."

"It's hard for anybody. There are people who are comfortable -- I don't know what the percentage of the people who are comfortable or are not comfortable [is], with people being differently able. I wrote in my book"

"It might have to do with how my mother was, and I observed her dealing with people who were different and as matter of fact and equal to anybody else, as deserving of respect and kindness. People have asked me over the years, "How do you work with people who are differently abled?" I always say,"

"I just have to learn what their special needs are. And what I'm going to do with them, I do with everybody. I want to find out what they're capable of, not what they're not capable of -- I mean, we know what they're not capable of, but it's so different for everyone, even if you don't have a physical disability."

"Everybody underestimates. And then there are people that think, am I a freak? Am I kinky? Is this strange? And I always say, "No." Find the person who loves to do what you love to do, and then you'll have the best relationship."

"If you're with somebody you feel is judging you when you make a suggestion, give it a try if you're really attracted to the person, but I wouldn't stick around for that."

"I believe that curiosity, integrity and generosity are the key attributes for good scientists. You need to be addicted to asking and answering questions! In doing this, we get to discover new things, either small details or big leaps in knowledge, on a daily basis - which is incredibly wonderful."

"No, I don’t miss being in the lab. For me, the exciting part of science is working out what the question is, and how to answer it. I am very privileged - I get to ask questions, and have a wonderful team who generates data to answer them."

"African scientists have to be resilient - it’s a tough career anywhere, but especially in Africa where we face many additional challenges. But it’s essential that we African scientists use our skills and determination to do good research that is relevant to our communities."

"For vaccine development presently, the South African AIDS Vaccine initiative has no money."

"If we do not continue working on this, we will never have a vaccine... it's incredibly important that we keep working."

"The Institut Pasteur of Côte d’Ivoire has been committed to fighting AMR for more than 20 years."

"It is hosting the ORMICI, an institution that serves as the executive unit to coordinate actions against AMR through six Multisectoral Technical Committees (MTCs)."

"That correspond to the six strategic objectives of the National Plan to Combat AMR."

"This multisectoral approach is a source of great pride for me as it enables strong collaboration among stakeholders."

"With MTCs unified under the leadership of ORMICI, we foster greater."

"I also would like to add that the collaboration with international partners has helped us make important achievements."

"The collaboration with the USAID Medicines, Technologies, and Pharmaceutical Services (MTaPS)."

"Program has helped generate results to boost the fight against AMR."

"A number of documents have been developed that provide a framework for governance on the management of antimicrobials."

"MTaPS’ support on infection prevention and control assessments and on the revision of the national AMR plan needs to be acknowledged."

"It can seem counterintuitive, but the private sector not only needs to be involved it is often the sector asking for more regulations regarding multiresistant bacteria and antibiotic residues."

"These sectors are affected by AMR because of the decrease in or loss of effectiveness of the products they sell."

"The issue comes from the fact that these different sectors aren’t at the same level of progress."

"The human sector is more advanced the Institut Pasteur started working in this area in the 1980s, and a number of scientists work on AMR throughout the country."

"I also want to indicate that the One Health concept is relatively new and we need to do a better job communicating its importance to different stakeholders."

"The current pandemic and climate change have more acutely demonstrated the need for a multisectoral approach to deal with them and this could accelerate the shift in the management of public health issues."

"There is a stronger awareness from civil servants and health professionals of the importance of infection prevention and control."

"We shouldn’t forget the heavy toll that health professionals have paid due to the pandemic."

"In Côte d’Ivoire, health systems and IPC capacities have been strengthened during the pandemic."

"The institute was created in 1972 by a law of the National Assembly."

"But while searching the archives, it was discovered that the late President Houphouët-Boigny had considered creating a Pasteur Institute as early as 1962 just two years after independence."

"I believe the President at the time had many other priorities, but he was determined to provide Côte d’Ivoire with a Pasteur Institute."

"The first directors were French. I am the sixth director."

"There have been two French and four Ivorians."

"With the support of the government and development partners, we were able to create advanced technological platforms. *The Pasteur Institute has been heavily solicited over the past ten years."

"There was the yellow fever epidemic, dengue outbreaks, the H1N1 pandemic flu, the H5N1 avian flu, and the suspected Ebola outbreak which fortunately did not reach Côte d’Ivoire and finally the COVID-19 pandemic."

"These past ten years have been very demanding for the Pasteur Institute of Côte d’Ivoire."

"My primary hope is to make people understand that antibiotics are not candy."

"When the COVID-19 pandemic began to spread in Côte d’Ivoire, the first protocol against the virus included antibiotics, which encouraged overuse and increased the risk of harmful misuse of these products."

"It is therefore essential to emphasize that antibiotics have a specific use, which must remain strictly limited."

"it is important to note that Côte d’Ivoire faces a major challenge with medicines being sold without prescriptions."

"Not only do patients fail to receive the care they need, but the sale of these products also poses significant health risks."

"For these reasons, drug regulation must be a public health priority, and the fight against the illegal drug trade a top concern."

"It is also important to emphasize that the “One Health” concept is relatively new, and we believe it is necessary to communicate and raise awareness among stakeholders."

"The current pandemic and climate change have also clearly demonstrated the urgent need for a multisectoral approach to address these challenges."

"These awards show that it is possible to rely on women to meet the challenges of scientific development in Africa."

"The modernity of our infrastructure has earned us to be nominated by the West African regional organization of health biobank of the ECOWAS countries."

"This regional biobank will be inaugurated at the end of the year."

"We also have requests for samples from international biobanks."

"These technological developments allow us to be more efficient and attractive, even for young scientists."

"Last year we welcomed 284 trainees, including thirty doctoral students."

"These young researchers come not only from Côte d'Ivoire, but also from France, Canada, the United States, as well as from other countries in Africa."

"We have achieved some of our dreams to advance science in Africa."

"It is an example that things can change from the inside in Africa."

"Projects to build the biobank and the platform on high-risk pathogens have been financed to the tune of 8 billion CFA francs by the Ivorian government."

"We were convinced that these projects were important and achievable here."

"We were able to find the arguments to persuaded the political authorities and they trusted us."

"It was not won in advance, I am very proud."

"It is also a positive message for young people, determination can make innovative projects come true."

"In 2009, as part of the global eradication of poliomyelitis, WHO is asking the Institut Pasteur in Côte d'Ivoire to confine samples and strains of poliovirus."

"At the same time the CDC in Abidjan wanted to give its collections of samples to the Institut Pasteur in Cote d'Ivoire."

"The majority of biobanks are then located in the developed countries and the Institut Pasteur in Côte d'Ivoire."

"In March 2014, the Institut Pasteur thanks to the BSL4 laboratory of the National Reference Center for Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers, confirms the presence of the Zaire species of the Ebola virus (ZEBOV) in a patient sample from Guinea."

"This is the starting point of an unprecedented international mobilization to stem what will prove to be the most severe Ebola epidemic ever recorded in West Africa."

"In June 2016, when the WHO announced the official end of the epidemic, the figures were sad: at least 28,000 officially declared cases."

"More than 11,000 deaths. "Neighboring countries have been hit hard."

"We had 70 suspect patients but fortunately no confirmed cases."

"The health infrastructures implemented with the Government and our partners have enabled us to rapidly face the situation."

"It is time for Africa to begin thinking and operating as a stakeholder, rather than accepting the ‘victim mentality’ created by opponents of biotechnology. The priority of Africa must be to food its people and to sustain agricultural production and the environment."

"It’s unsustainable to depend on imports. A country depending on imported food cannot grow."

"Let us first invest in high-yielding varieties and bring in investors to put money into irrigation systems and soil fertility, that is make fertiliser cheaper by producing it locally. Then educate farmers on how to store the surplus harvest to avoid losses."

"Then increase mechanisation in ploughing and processing the harvests. For instance, instead of farmers doing manual shelling of groundnuts, they use a machine."

"Companies import because they cannot get timely delivery of adequate and quality supply of required volumes. If we organise farmers into groups and train them in producing huge volumes of adequate produce, we will reduce imports like rice; 80 per cent of rice consumed in Kenya is imported."