One year on, we're revisiting our very first event about COVID-19.
Who is most at risk of contracting coronavirus? How is the infection transmitted? When will a vaccine be introduced to tackle the spread of the virus? The questions we raised at last year’s RAPID RESPONSE TO CORONAVIRUS have since been answered, but over the course of the last twelve months, many more have taken their place.

When will we reach global immunity? Does the vaccine have any long-term implications? Can Covid-19 finally be conquered so we can return to life as we once knew it?

One year on, we’re revisiting our first rapid-response event with our reassembled panel giving us their updates and expert opinions on new strains, sustained threats and the light at the end of the tunnel that is the rollout of new and innovative vaccines.

PANELISTS

Cillian De Gascun, Director, National Virus Reference Laboratory

Cillian De Gascun is a consultant virologist who graduated from Trinity College Dublin in 1998. His main research interests are the molecular epidemiology of viruses, antiviral resistance, vaccine-preventable infections, and the utilisation of these data to inform national health policy.

Professor Nigel Stevenson, Assistant Professor in Immunology at Trinity College Dublin

Nigel Stevenson's immunology research at Trinity analyses how viruses target our immune system. His research has been funded by The Irish Research Board (HRB), Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) and Enterprise Ireland. He is passionate about communicating science to the public.

David McGrath, Medical Director of the College Health Service

Dr David McGrath is the Medical Director of the College Health Service at Trinity College, Dublin. He has been a member of College Working Groups on Avian Flu, H5N1, SARS and Ebola. His interests include mental health and addiction in young people, minor surgery in general practice and sports medicine.

Karina Butler, UCD Clinical Professor of Paediatrics

Karina Butler is UCD Clinical Professor of Paediatrics, Consultant Paediatrician and Infectious Diseases Specialist at Children’s Health Ireland at Crumlin and Temple Street. She has over 30 years’ experience working in the field of infectious diseases. She is the current President of the Infectious Disease Society of Ireland and Chair of the National Immunisation Advisory Committee of The Royal College of Physicians of Ireland.

MODERATOR

Maria Delaney is an investigative journalist for Noteworthy, a project by Journal Media, publishers of Ireland’s leading online news source TheJournal.ie. Previously, she was an award-winning freelance science and health journalist working for national newspapers and radio.