Practical Workshops


ECCVID will host 4 online practical workshops over the course of the conference. These 2-hour workshops are designed to engage with an audience in a more hands-on way concerning the diagnostics of COVID-19. They will begin with informative lectures by leading experts and follow with practical activities or open up for rounds of questioning that participants can engage in with active guidance from the experts.

 

Since seats are limited, ECCVID registrants must sign up here to participate in these workshops by following the links in each section, and you can register for ECCVID here: https://escmid.reg.key4events.com/content.aspx?e=1&c=4

 

Active participants will have the ability to chat, ask questions, and perform the practical activity along with the experts guiding the lesson. Please note that although seats are limited for active participants, these workshops will be live streamed so that all ECCVID registrants have access to view these sessions.

 

Please see below the information regarding each session.

Phylogenetic analysis and molecular epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2

23 September 2020; 13:00-15:00 CEST

This hands-on workshop will explain the basics of SARS-CoV-2 molecular epidemiology, spread and evolution followed by a practical activity where participants can learn how to use webtools to analyse their own sequences.

 

In the first part: Richard Neher will give an introduction into phylogenetics and molecular epidemiology, Emma Hodcroft will give an overview of SARS-CoV-2 evolution in Nextstrain, and Áine O'Toole will explore SARS-CoV-2 diversity, clades, and lineages.

 

In the second part: Participants will be guided through quality control, clade assignment, and phylogenetic placement with nextclade, followed by lineage assignment using pangolin and llama.

The Instructors will provide participants with example datasets to work on.

 

Instructors

Richard Neher (Switzerland)

Emma Hodcroft (Switzerland)

Áine O'Toole (UK)

 

Please register following this link: https://escmid-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_z4PwuQMWS7-UZry-Rs-KSA

 

How I treat patients with COVID-19

23 September 2020; 13:00-15:00 CEST

This practical workshop focus on the treatment of patients during the Covid-19 pandemic and the lessons learned concerning therapeutic choices. The instructors will discuss the determinants of therapeutic decision making while in a pandemic, as well as discuss the therapeutic approach in different clinical settings considering patient severity: mild, moderate-severe and critical. This discussion will include the use of antivirals, corticosteroids, other immunomodulators and antithrombotic drugs and also non-pharmacological interventions such as respiratory support. Participants will also be able to appraise the quality and limitations of evidence available to guide therapeutic decisions all along the course of the Covid-19 pandemic. Registered participants will have the opportunity to ask questions via chat thorughout the workshop.

 

Instructors

Bruno Mégarbane (France)

Jesús Rodríguez-Baño (Spain)

José R. Arribas (Spain)

José R. Paño (Spain)

 

Please register following this link: https://escmid-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_x6vFOYZ6RJWNPJo01LQQ2g

 

How to perform different PCR protocols to detect SARS-CoV-2

24 September 2020; 13:00-15:00 CEST

This practical workshop will provide the opportunity to have an insight on how to detect SARS-CoV-2 by RT-PCR. A visit of the laboratory with demonstrations of three types of SARS-CoV-2 will be presented: an in-house automated versatile molecular platform and two commercial assays (Cobas & GenExprt). A computer-aided validation tool will also be presented and reliability (sensitivity & specificity, predictive values) of the tests will be discussed, as well as importance of quantitative results. In addition, other aspects will be also highlighted, including (i) human resources and training of new technicians, (ii) quality management tools and strategy and (iii) time to results.

 

Instructors

Gilbert Greub (Switzerland)

Onya Opota (Switzerland)

Claire Bertelli (Switzerland)

 

 

Please register following this link: https://escmid-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_XMYPJJFxSjuSLGeFSYE-yw

 

How to perform serological tests to detect SARS-CoV-2

25 September 2020; 13:00-15:00 CEST

This practical workshop will provide the opportunity for participants to have an insight on how to detect SARS-CoV-2 antibodies by serology. The first part consists of a live visit of a serological laboratory with demonstrations of four types of SARS-CoV-2 serology. Differential commercial assays will be presented including rapid immunochromatographic tests (ICT), enzyme-linked immunoassays (ELISA), and a chemoluminescent assay (CLIA). During this visit at the serological laboratories of the Department of Laboratory Medicine of the Lausanne University Hospital (Switzerland), we will also show an in-house Luminex bead-based assay.

 

In the second part, Gilbert Greub will show data comparing different serological tests and present the knowledge gathered so far on the kinetics of antibodies directed against the S or the N proteins of the SARS-Cov-2; he will also discuss the main indications of serological tests. Craig Fenwick will then discuss neutralizing antibodies and neutralisation assays and finally, Giuseppe Pantaleo will discuss anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. Registered participants will have the opportunity to ask questions at the end of the visit of the laboratories and after each presentation.

 

Instructors

Gilbert Greub (Switzelrand)

Giuseppe Pantaleo (Switzerland)

Craig Fenwick (Switzerland)

 

Please register following this link: https://escmid-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_OebGntv6ToiThARpEX6oJw