World Meteorological Organization Task Team for COVID-19

CCOUC Director Prof Emily Chan was appointed a member of the World Meteorological Organization Task Team for COVID-19 of 15 international experts from 5 continents in July 2020. Two online meetings were conducted in July.

The establishment of the task team is a response of the international community to the global spread and impact of the emergent COVID-19 pandemic. The situation has called into action the interdisciplinary infectious disease research community, including a wide range of prominent climate, weather and environmental research institutions, to try to advance the science knowledge base and lines of communication and cooperation, which may help slow and stop the pandemic.

The task team will monitor the state of knowledge on COVID-19 and linkages to environmental conditions, including air quality, UV radiation, weather and climatic conditions. Key questions include the relationship of viral transmission to potential meteorological, climatological and environmental drivers and determinants, and the intensity of symptomology and impact of the COVID-19 disease. This expert group will issue periodic authoritative statements, help inform the immediate global response to COVID-19, foster good practice in interdisciplinary research, and help operationalize predictive modelling if deemed necessary.