No human exists in isolation or as an island: The outcomes of a multidisciplinary, global, and context-specific COVID-19 consortium

Gautam S. Kalyatanda, MD; Lennox K. Archibald, FRCP, PhD; Shraddha Patnala, BJ; Maneesh Paul-Satyaseela, MSc, PhD; Pretesh Rohan Kiran, MBBS, MD, DGM; Sunitha Chandrasekhar Srinivas, MPharm, PhD, PGDHE; Anthony Byrne, MBBS, IiPH, BAppSc, FRACP; Chun-Yu Lin, MD, PhD; Venkat Narayan Chekuri; Reuben Ramphal, MD; Anna Shifrin, MD; Shivanjali Shankaran, MD; Jonathan J. Cho, MD, PhD; Andrew Abbott, MD; Matthew Edwards; Daniel Urbine, MD; Daisy Lekharu, MBBS, MPH, MBA; Hala Mohamed Moussa, MD; Janice Limson, PhD; Sharli Paphitis, PhD; Roman Tandlich, PhD; Diana Hornby, BEd, MS; Frederick Southwick, MD

doi:10.5055/ajdm.2020.0350

Authors

Gautam S. Kalyatanda, MD
Lennox K. Archibald, FRCP, PhD
Shraddha Patnala, BJ
Maneesh Paul-Satyaseela, MSc, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6702-4942
Pretesh Rohan Kiran, MBBS, MD, DGM
Sunitha Chandrasekhar Srinivas, MPharm, PhD, PGDHE
Anthony Byrne, MBBS, IiPH, BAppSc, FRACP
Chun-Yu Lin, MD, PhD
Venkat Narayan Chekuri
Reuben Ramphal, MD
Anna Shifrin, MD
Shivanjali Shankaran, MD
Jonathan J. Cho, MD, PhD
Andrew Abbott, MD
Matthew Edwards https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3234-1865
Daniel Urbine, MD
Daisy Lekharu, MBBS, MPH, MBA
Hala Mohamed Moussa, MD
Janice Limson, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9955-3518
Sharli Paphitis, PhD
Roman Tandlich, PhD
Diana Hornby, BEd, MS
Frederick Southwick, MD

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5055/ajdm.2020.0350

Keywords:

COVID-19, pandemic

Abstract

A pandemic, by definition, involves the whole world being impacted by a common threat and calls for a united response. A highly virulent pathogen, the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has affected every facet of modern life. The virus has revealed the world’s underlying inherent inequities, such as economic and food insecurity and availability of and access to a functional healthcare system, not to mention preparedness of nations to manage a coordinated pandemic response. For these reasons, Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) represents an unprecedented challenge to economies, healthcare systems, and nations alike. The closing of international and internal borders, physical distancing, and the resulting decrease in travel and trade have led countries to become insular geographically, socially, and economically. Somewhat ironically, this necessitates an increased need for greater collaboration between countries and other stakeholders to control the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and better manage the global crisis upon us, so as to mitigate the long-term sequelae of this pandemic.

Author Biographies

Gautam S. Kalyatanda, MD

Division of Infectious Disease and Global Health, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida

Lennox K. Archibald, FRCP, PhD

Malcolm Randall Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Gainesville, Florida

Shraddha Patnala, BJ

School of Journalism, Rhodes University, South Africa

Maneesh Paul-Satyaseela, MSc, PhD

Director, Research & Management, R&D Directorate, Acharya Institutes, Bangalore, India

Pretesh Rohan Kiran, MBBS, MD, DGM

St. Johns Medical College, Bangalore, India

Sunitha Chandrasekhar Srinivas, MPharm, PhD, PGDHE

Rhodes University, South Africa

Anthony Byrne, MBBS, IiPH, BAppSc, FRACP

Division of Pulmonary Medicine, St. Vincent’s Clinic, University of New South Wales, Australia

Chun-Yu Lin, MD, PhD

Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Taiwan

Venkat Narayan Chekuri

Joint Secretary, Karuna Trust, Bangalore, India

Reuben Ramphal, MD

Professor of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida

Anna Shifrin, MD

Diagnostic Radiologist, Winchester Hospital, Winchester, Massachusetts

Shivanjali Shankaran, MD

Assistant Professor, Division of Infectious Disease, Rush University, Chicago, Illinois

Jonathan J. Cho, MD, PhD

College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida

Andrew Abbott, MD

Division of Infectious Disease and Global Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida

Matthew Edwards

Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio

Daniel Urbine, MD

Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary Medicine and Critical Care, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida

Daisy Lekharu, MBBS, MPH, MBA

Global Health Consultant, Geneva, Switzerland

Hala Mohamed Moussa, MD

Pediatric Neurologist, Centre Hospitalier des Specialites, Nouakchott, Mauritania

Janice Limson, PhD

Director and Professor, Biotechnology Innovation Centre, Rhodes University, South Africa

Sharli Paphitis, PhD

Health Service and Population Research, King’s College, London; Rhodes University, South Africa

Roman Tandlich, PhD

Faculty of Pharmacy, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa; Faculty of Health Sciences, Technical University of Liberec, Liberec, Czech Republic

Diana Hornby, BEd, MS

Director of Community Engagement, Rhodes University, South Africa

Frederick Southwick, MD

Professor of Medicine, Division of Hospital Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida