Public event on the new "Omicron" virus variant
What are the characteristics of the new Sars-CoV-2 variant "Omicron", how does it spread compared to other variants, and what does "Omicron" mean for society? Experts from the Multidisciplinary Center for Infectious Diseases (MCID) at the University of Bern will present the latest research and answer questions from the audience at a public online event on Wednesday, December 8, 2021.
On Wednesday, December 8, 2021 from 5.00-6.45 p.m. CET, the Multidisciplinary Center for Infectious Diseases (MCID) will host a public online event on "Omicron" in the form of a live webinar. Interested parties can join and ask the experts questions via chat. The event will be recorded and made available online afterwards.
The live webinar will cover topics such as mutations of "Omicron," potential for evading the immune system, impact on the global economy and international travel activity, global collaboration in the fight against the new variant, and the current situation with several "Omicron" cases in Switzerland.
Experts from various academic disciplines of the multidisciplinary center, such as medicine, economics, and ethics, will participate in the outreach event:
PD Dr. Christian Althaus, Institute for Social and Preventive Medicine (ISPM), University of Bern
Prof. Dr. Dr. Claus Beisbart, Institute of Philosophy, University of Bern
PD Dr. med. Manuela Funke-Chambour, Department for BioMedical Research, University of Bern / Inselspital, Universitässpital Bern
Prof. Dr. Joseph Francois, World Trade Institute (WTI), University of Bern
Dr. Emma Hodcroft, Institute for Social and Preventive Medicine (ISPM), University of Bern
Prof. Dr. Volker Thiel, Institute of Virology and Immunology (IVI) and Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern
Prof. Dr. med. Annelies Wilder-Smith, Institute for Social and Preventive Medicine (ISPM), University of Bern
The event will be hosted by Prof. Nicola Low, MD, Institute for Social and Preventive Medicine (ISPM), University of Bern.
The MCID of the University of Bern cordially invites you to the public online event:
"The SARS-CoV-2 variant Omicron: a snapshot of where we are"
Date: Wednesday, December 8, 2021
Time: 5.00-6.45 p.m. CET
Language: English, with simultaneous translation into German and French.
Registration is required for participation. You can register here. The online event is free of charge and will also be streamed live on Youtube.
At the end of the presentations there will be a Q&A session where questions can be asked to the speakers via chat.
You can see the program of the online event here.
Multidisciplinary Center for Infectious Diseases (MCID)The MCID was founded in January 2021 and uses an interdisciplinary approach to research the causes, protection and management of the devastating consequences of epidemics and pandemics. It uses models, core structures, and innovative questions to form a network for future threats. By structuring the MCID as a virtual center, administrative tasks and expenses are minimized and funds can flow directly into scientific projects. The MCID consists of seven clusters: Immunity, Patient-Focused Research, Epidemiology, Microbiology, Neglected Diseases, Ethics and Policy, and Economics. Application-oriented research projects are pursued in these clusters. An independent scientific panel of international experts will determine and fund the best projects in a competitive process. For a ten-year phase, the MCID will be supported by the Vinetum Foundation with an amount of 30 million Swiss francs. |
2021/12/06