Smart Regions talks to the virologist coordinating a European project that is collating the data of COVID-19 patients.
A European project called I-Move-Covid-19 has been set up to coordinate and test the case data of patients that have contracted COVID-19. Financed by EU funds, it brings together 22, mostly public bodies, from 11 European countries. The idea is to collate as much information as possible in order to get a better understanding of the virus and how to beat it.
Virologist Francisco Pozo is in charge of the team coordinating the project at the Carlos III Institute in Madrid. The Institute is a centre of excellence in microbiology and is testing all the collected coronavirus samples. It will also seek to make sure that all the participating countries use the same methodology.
"International collaboration in a project like 'I-Move-Covid-19' means that all countries unify their criteria, meet, talk about the virus and have the same goal and the same end," explains Pozo.
"It will adapt to humans and gradually lose its lethality"
He adds: "I believe the virus is in the process of adapting to its new host, which is the human being. It will adapt to humans and gradually lose its lethality. I am one of those who think that a second wave will come in the winter period, in autumn, or winter, but it will come much softer, much more adapted to the humans.
Professionally it's a challenge
Pozo concludes by saying: "Always, when there's a new virus, it's as if the virus is challenging you. You don't know anything about the new virus and you have to get to know it little by little, so professionally it's a challenge. We all know about cases close to home, the death of a partner's father, something that is touching us deeply."