Climatological, meteorological and environmental factors in the COVID-19 pandemic: An international virtual symposium on drivers, predictability and actionable information

This international virtual symposium will help elucidate what is known, understood, and can be reliably predicted about environmental variables’ influence on the trajectory of the COVID-19 epidemic, from global, hemispheric, regional and local perspectives. Symposium outcomes will include a synthesis of the information presented and recommendations for further research at local to global scales.

The online symposium will include pre-recorded contributions from registered and selected delegates, and live session panels chaired by members of the scientific committee and open to all delegates. Symposium proceedings will be published via a fast-track process managed by Elsevier publishers.

Submission of abstracts is open until 10 July 2020.

Abstracts for prospective contributions are invited on work that:

• Explores and tests the role of changing seasons on the trajectory of the pandemic at a range of time and space scales, including seasonal effects of human behaviour and ecological aspects of the pandemic.
• Investigates the role of and environmental (including meteorological & climatological) factors in spatial and temporal variability of the pandemic across climate zones, including in the tropics.
• Demonstrates the use of environmental and climate-related tools and information products in the management of COVID-19 and similar epidemics.
• Adopts an OneHealth framework to understand the interactions of people, animals, social determinants, and the environment relevant to COVID-19.
• Considers the short-term impacts of the pandemic on the environment that have potential feedbacks on COVID-19 transmission or impacts (e.g. changing water and air quality, and pollution levels).
• Identifies research gaps and collaborative opportunities for further investigations of the relationship between the environment/climate and SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19, including work to inform preparedness for future pandemics.